The Prejudice
by FranceGamble-too
Summary: Kagome is a prejudice teenager. InuYasha is a hanyou. Their world is split. InuYasha needs a job and the shrine is the best place. Can InuYasha show Kagome that being prejudice isn't the correct moral path? Will the youkai ever be equal to the humans?
1. Prologue

The Prejudice

Written By: FranceGamble

Corrected By: Trinity-33, Samantha, Gigi-chan, and Elyndewen Startree

Prologue

He stood there looking in the mirror. He could hear the students in the hall with his two white inu youkai ears on top of his head. His gold eyes took in every detail in the bathroom that reflected in the foggy, or dirty mirror. InuYasha was sure it had to be dirt that covered the reflective glass. He sighed as he brought a clawed hand through his matted white hair, his long fingers bringing out the blood that caused the matting. "Why me?" he asked his other self. Of course his reflection didn't answer him back.

He brought his hands down to his side to straighten his dirty blue jeans. Then he brought them up to grab some hand paper to scrub at the blood spot now staining his white t-shirt. "Damn it all!" he muttered as he tried his hardest to get his own blood off of his favorite shirt.

He sighed as he gave up on the spots and went for the wood door to the male youkai bathroom in Okinawa's Youkai High School. The door barely opened by his own hand when it burst open and two boys came in. One had long white hair, the other had brown that was neatly placed in a ponytail. They both pushed poor InuYasha back against the wall just behind the door. "Oh, look Tenma! InuYasha's in the bathroom. Now, why would he be in here?" the boy with the ponytail looked at the white haired youkai.

"I don't know Kouga. You don't think he was trying to avoid us, do you?" Tenma answered.

"No, guys, I was just about to meet up with you. Honest," InuYasha put his hands in front of his body to show he was sincere.

"You were late though, so we decided to look for you. Why were you late, little doggy?" Kouga asked as he stepped closer to the dog-eared boy. His blue eyes narrowed and he brought a clawed hand up to InuYasha's face.

"I...I...I..." InuYasha stuttered. He looked between the two youkai. Both pairs of blue eyes stared at him menacingly. He still couldn't think of what to say to them.

"No answer?" Tenma said. "No mercy then." He shot forward and grabbed InuYasha by the collar and forced him away from the wall. Tenma let his fist collide with the face that had just been cleaned of blood. "You should listen to those who are stronger then yourself!"

~*~Ma~*~

Kagome brought her hand through her raven hair as she worked on her homework in her bedroom. She looked at the third question on her math and tapped her pencil. "I can't believe she gave us over a hundred questions!" She yelled as she threw her book off of her desk. She then took her pencil and chucked it at the wall, making it stick out of the embedded wall where many more holes were made from previous pencils.

"Kagome, you have better not have made another hole!" she heard her mother yell from down the hallway.

"Why would I do that mother?!" she called back.

"That's what I thought," her mother answered.

Kagome rolled her eyes as she thought about school the next day. She then began to plan what she would do and whom she should seduce into doing her homework. "Maybe Hojo will do it."

~*~Ma~*~

He walked into the small apartment that was falling apart. "Dad!" he called weakly through his home. He heard the heavy walking of his father's footsteps and the growl from the older youkai.

"InuYasha, why do you look like you've been in Hell?" Mr. Takoshi said to his youngest son.

InuYasha just looked down at the floor, waiting for his father to lecture him on being weak, again. "They attacked me again," he whispered.

"How could you let them attack you? Sesshomaru never had any problems in that school! You make us look weaker in the eyes of Humans! What's wrong with you, InuYasha!? Where did I raise you different than your brother?!" Mr. Takoshi walked to the kitchen to take the overly used ice pack out of the icebox. He placed it on the boys face, right where a huge bump was forming. InuYasha hissed and tried to back away, but his father grabbed the back of his white haired head gently and held him in place. "Stay still so we can fix these up. They should heal in two days, maybe three."

InuYasha nodded slightly. "Thanks dad."

"Anytime son," Mr. Takoshi answered as he sighed.

"What's wrong?" InuYasha asked. He looked up into the sullen amber eyes.

"We're having money problems. I have to get a new job, but I don't know if the hours will work out," Mr. Takoshi pulled the ice pack away and guided his son into the bathroom to clean the rest of his wounds.

InuYasha thought a minute about the new family problem. "And Sesshomaru?"

"He's in the other country, you know that. He can't send money. He needs it more than us for his college," Mr. Takoshi reminded the teen.

InuYasha nodded. "I'll get a job."

Mr. Takoshi looked at him for a minute. "Where?"

"I don't know, anywhere," InuYasha vowed. "I want to help, and I only have two more years of school left anyway."

"I'm happy that you're still in school. That's all I ask from you," Mr. Takoshi patted his son on the head. "Now, go do your homework. I have to get to work."

InuYasha nodded and started to his room. It was the same room that he had once shared with his brother. One large bed was the only thing in the room, and it took most of the space. He sat down on it and pushed the sheet full of holes out of his way. He pulled his homework from his ripping bag and started on the too easy homework.

~*~ Tsuzuku ~*~

Thanks To: Everyone I e-mailed and asked to correct this. I only used some of the people I e-mailed, because after so many I was fully corrected. Thank you anyway.

A/N: Some might recognize this story already. I lost my password and my email was hacked. I am reposting it under my new name and I have it finished. Please expect the next chapter on September 8th. Thank you everyone!

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any of its characters. I do own my own characters though, so please ask before using them. Thank you.

France Gamble 2003/2013


	2. Chapter 1

Prejudice

Written By: France Gamble

Corrected By: Gigi-chan, Samantha, and Trinity-33

Chapter One

He stood in front of the stairs that led to the unseen shrine. "I don't think this is going to work," he said to himself as he started to climb the seemingly endless incline.

He reached the top finally. He wondered if he would have been out of breath, had he been human. "If I was human," he said aloud. He sighed longingly as he crossed the leaf covered ground. The sun gleamed off of his silver hair as the ominous wind blew it behind him. He was scared; he wasn't going to fake it. 'Dad will just be happy that I have a job. He won't mind where it is,' he assured himself.

He slowly raised his hand up and knocked on the door. He waited and willed himself not to run away. 'I'm not going to run away from everything!' he thought angrily. He waited a couple more minutes then knocked again. This time he looked at his watch to make sure school hadn't started yet. As if he was really thinking on going.

Finally the door opened and a beautiful woman stood looking at him strangely. "May I help you, young man?" she asked politely; more politely than he had expected.

"I'm sorry to bother you, ma'am, but I was wondering if there is any work for me to do here. I need the extra money, and I'll work really hard," he bowed low to her, showing her full obedience. "Please let me work for you."

She stood there looking at the bowing teenager. To say she was startled was an understatement. "Uh… sure, I could use the extra help around here. When do you want to start?"

He straightened up and smiled, "I can start today. Right now even. I don't have school today."

She smiled too, "Okay, then why don't I make a list of things I need done. I will pay you by the hour as long as you continually work. Is that fine with you?"

'Wow, she's really nice,' he thought. He nodded, "That's fine with me, ma'am. I don't care how much I make. I just need some money."

"You sound like such the gentleman. Come inside so I can make that list," she said as she opened the door for him to enter.

He bowed low again and walked into the Main House on the Higurashi Shrine for Humans.

~*~Ma~*~

Her black hair waved in the slight wind as she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you so much, Hojo. I really appreciate you doing the math for me," she sweetly told him as she smiled. "See you tomorrow," she turned around, making sure her hair waved seductively for him.

He smiled brightly and shyly as he walked away from the base of the shrine steps that the sixteen year old just started to climb. "I will do her homework as long as I always get my reward," he said to himself.

Kagome smiled as she walked the many steps up to her home. She was feeling wonderful. She had turned in all of her homework, all of it finished. And she was able to find two boys to do all of tomorrow's homework too. Yup, she was feeling light on her feet. She could almost skip all the way up the sixty or so steps.

Well, she had been feeling wonderful, until she reached the top of the cement stairs. Her feet stopped before she even realized what she was doing. There standing in front of her was something she hated even more than homework. "Youkai," she muttered. Her eyes narrowed as she started towards the evil beast.

~*~Ma~*~

He was enjoying the work that Mrs. Higurashi had given him. It was only small chores, and nothing that would tire him out much. But mostly he liked working because she had given him the most generous pay of all. Minimal wage that a human would have received, not what a youkai would have been paid at all, no matter what job he tried to get. So, what was he doing to show his happiness? He was singing, and dancing too, while he swept the central path to the main shrine. He wasn't off-key either. 'I'm not in the youkai choir for nothing,' he thought as he sang the first verse again to the song from his favorite movie The Labyrinth.

"How you turned my world, you precious thing," he did a quick spin. "You starving near exhaust me.

"Everything I've done, I've done for you," he started to use the top of the broom as a microphone. "I move the stars for no one." As he turned around to continue the song he saw her: a young teenage girl, standing there glaring at him. 'Oh, how embarrassing,' he thought to himself. He smiled at her. She glared stronger.

Thinking maybe he was up-setting her somehow, he bowed to her, "I'm sorry miss."

"Disgusting creature," she yelled at him. Then, in an act that was very un-ladylike, she spat at him, barely missed him. When he came up to ask why she had done that, he saw her walking away towards the main house. He followed after her, but when she just opened the door to the house, he figured out she must have been the daughter that the walls were covered with pictures of.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Higurashi," he said to himself as though the girl were politely infront of him, "My name's InuYasha." In an act much unlike him, he walked to the kitchen window where he could hear the Higurashi women talking. Well, one talking, the other yelling.

~*~Ma~*~

Kagome ran into the kitchen, nearly knocking over the pitcher of water sitting on the table. "What is that thing doing here?!" She looked right at her mother; her mood clearly was anger and loathing. Her green skirt swayed as she paced back and forth in front of her surprised mother.

"Kagome, do not talk to me like that. And I don't know what you're talking about," Mrs. Higurashi said as she turned around and stirred the oden on the stove.

"That freak on the property! How could you hire it!?" Kagome screamed. She crossed her arms and glared at the older Higurashi woman.

"Are you talking about InuYasha? He's not a freak or an "it". He's a youkai, and he needed the job. You never want to work anyway, and so he's taking all of your chores on the shrine." There was a moment of silence, and then Mrs. Higurashi continued, "Be nice to him, okay?" The older woman smiled, but made sure her point was made.

"I'm not being nice to anything that I can kill with one talisman," Kagome yelled as she stormed out of the kitchen and stomped her way up the stairs.

Mrs. Higurashi sighed and looked out the kitchen window right at the white haired youkai. She smiled at him, "Don't worry about her, but I suggest you try to avoid her."

"Yes ma'am," InuYasha said sadly as he pretended to rake some leaves into a pile

~*~Ma~*~

"Can you believe it Sango?! She hired a youkai! How disgusting can she be!?" Kagome screamed into the phone. She sighed and plopped down onto her twin mattress making her neatly made bed crumple under her. This caused her pink pillow to fly into the air and down onto the floor.

"Well, maybe she did need the help," Sango offered on the other end of the phone.

"No, if she needed the help she would have put an advertisement in the Okinawa Human Times," Kagome said maliciously. She stared out her window at the tree positioned right in her view of the city. The sun barely bringing any light through the changing leaves.

"Well, since I'm your best friend, I won't tell anyone about your youkai worker. But I suggest you don't tell anyone else. If you do, someone, like Kikyo, will use it to make your life miserable. They will call you Youkai lover and ask when you're having the hanyou. It would be terrible. Remember, it happened to that girl named Rin before she finally had to move in fear of her own life," Sango advised.

Kagome remembered the horrible incident vividly, "But wasn't she really in love with the older youkai?"

"It doesn't matter. They could lie about it!" Sango said. Then she mumbled something to someone. Her mood changed as she said angrily to Kagome, "Kohaku is being a pain. I have to go, sorry."

"It's okay. I'm just glad Sota isn't home from boy scouts yet," Kagome answered. "See ya tomorrow."

"See you," Sango said back right before she hung up the phone.

Kagome pushed the off button and laid down onto her bed. 'I can't believe she ruined my life!' she thought bitterly.

~*~Ma~*~

He quietly walked down the street seeing all the rich homes of the humans that surrounded the Higurashi Shrine. "One day things will be different," he promised himself as he imagined himself and his father living in one of the huge homes. "We'll have a human butler, and human maids. And the best cook in the whole country, well region. And we'll be able to walk into any shop. There won't be any Separation Code. And everyone will share everything. There will even be hanyou's born." It was a dream, and he knew it.

It wasn't only his dream though, and he knew that. He remembered the night his older brother, Sesshomaru, had said he was leaving the country to study in a better one. Some place that had no Separation Code on Youkai and Humans… A place where he and his younger love could live without any ridicule or fear… The young girl was absolutely in tears, InuYasha remembered that too. All he could think at the time was how lucky she was to have the youkai every girl in Okinawa Youkai High had wanted. He had smiled at his brother and wished him luck. Sesshomaru didn't smile back, but only because that wasn't his style. They left during the night to China. One of the only free countries left.

InuYasha sighed as his thoughts also turned to leaving. He could leave too. Leave all the youkai in high school that thought he was the reason Sesshomaru had left. He could leave all the youkai who beated him up daily as well. He could also leave all the humans who yelled, spat at him, and were just plain mean to him. All of his thoughts made him feel angry, but he wouldn't show it. If he did, he would be in trouble. Being a youkai meant he had to be careful. It was a human world, and youkai weren't welcome. 'They would give us an island to live on, but they're afraid we'll take over the world after getting together in mass numbers,' he remembered his father telling him once.

His thoughts went once again to the places he could leave to. "America, Britain, France, Germany..." he started naming off the free countries when he almost tripped on something. He caught himself and stepped off the sidewalk to look at what had almost made him break his neck. "Shippo?"

"They killed them," the little boy said into the sidewalk he was kneeling on. His red hair glistened in the bright moonlight, and from the streetlights of the empty street.

InuYasha kneeled down next to the kitsune youkai. He didn't like the young boy too much, but he wasn't going to let personal tiffs get in the way of comforting someone. "Who was killed?"

"Momma and Papa. I should have gone home when they told me to. I would have been home," the boy cried harder. His green eyes shut tight, but the tears still escaped.

InuYasha's heart felt like it had just fallen to the center of the world, "Who...who killed them?" He had to know if his fears were correct.

Shippo sniffed, "If I had only been there, I would have gone with them! I want to be with them!" He screamed. InuYasha didn't care if the boy woke up the entire world right then. The child deserved to let his anger out.

What InuYasha did care about right then though, was who had been near his home. "Who killed them, Shippo?" he asked again.

Shippo brought his eyes up from the gray walk, "YES."

"Who?" InuYasha asked. "Do you mean Y-E-S?"

Shippo nodded. "They killed them both and left this letter." The little boy went into his pockets and pulled out a blood stained piece of paper. He handed the soaked object to InuYasha.

InuYasha carefully opened it and read it:

Dear youkai,

This is a warning to all who think they can overthrow the human race. We rule everything you know. Do anything to oppose us, and end up like them.

Y.E.S.

InuYasha folded the letter again. "Did the police see this?"

Shippo shook his head, "It's mine, and so I took it before the police came. They're there now, probably cleaning up the mess, and making it look like nothing happened."

Shippo was a smart kid. For only being ten he knew a lot, and obviously knew that the human police, who was the only police, would make it look like a murder/suicide. That was what always happened when the Youkai Exterminators Society killed someone. They were the reason Sesshomaru had to leave town.

InuYasha felt horrible for the child, and in a world where youkai would be killed for being parentless, he had to do something. "Shippo, come stay with me for a while. I will explain to my dad what happened."

Shippo shook his head, "I want to die. Please, InuYasha, let me get taken by them."

InuYasha shook his head and picked up the child. "I don't think so. If you die, who will avenge your parents' deaths? You have to live so that when the time comes you can fight."

"Avenge them? How?" Shippo asked while he was being carried across the railroad tracks that separated youkai residence from the human residence, like a barrier from rich, needed people, to poor, dogs who could eat out of the trash.

"Someday the world will change. We'll be free from the human's laws. And we'll be equal to them. We will be able to live in rich homes, be part of the military, and do everything they can do. We won't be separated any longer. You have to live to see that day, and help take out the Y.E.S. You understand right?" InuYasha asked as he made his way to the front door of the run down shack his father rented from a human landlord.

"I will avenge them," Shippo promised. He held up his hand and made a fist. A look of determination on his face, "I promise by the youkai blood running in my veins," he used the common pledge of all youkai.

InuYasha smiled as he unlocked the door and walked into his home to see his father reading The Okinawa Youkai Times. "Dad, Shippo needs a place to stay."

"I know. He can stay here," Mr. Takoshi said as he smiled at the fox.

~*~ Tsuzuku ~*~

A/N: Okay, so here's the first chapter placed up. I am now going to go and finish correcting and placing the rest of the chapters. I will place a new, never before seen, chapter tomorrow! So, if you recognize this story, read on through now and tomorrow we will get to the newest part that should have been placed years ago.

Again, sorry everyone for not finishing this before losing access to my old account! Ja ne minna!

France 2003


	3. Chapter 2

Prejudice

Written By: France Gamble

Corrected By: Elyndewen Startree, Gigi-chan, Trinity-33, FooFooCrazy326

Chapter Two

They walked along in silence until they reached the railroad tracks. "Shippo, are you sure you want to go to school?" InuYasha asked the ten-year-old kistune. He looked down at the little green eyes looking back up at him. The boy only nodded and looked down at the ground.

"I have to," the kit said.

"Why? You don't have to go. My dad said you could stay with me today while I work. I'm sure Mrs. Higurashi wouldn't mind," InuYasha stopped and held the boy back. "It hurts to lose someone. Don't make yourself live with the pain inside."

"What would you know about it!" Shippo yelled. He yanked his arm out of the older boy's hand. "You wouldn't know!" With rage burning he ran away from the white haired youkai.

"I do know," InuYasha said sadly. 'I do,' he thought as he watched the little boy run all the way down the street, dodging people and turning the corner to his school. InuYasha sighed as he turned and went down another street towards the Higurashi Shrine.

~*~Ma~*~

She was late. More than late, she was going to miss her first class entirely. "Man! I wish I could drive!" she screamed as she slammed the door and started her way down the path to the long steps. She stopped at the top to bring in some fresh air before descending the long way. "I have to get mom to make an elevator!" she screamed angrily.

She caught a stitch in her side as she turned the corner and in an attempt to massage it out, she ran into someone. "OW!" she yelled as she fell to the ground. Overly pissed now she saw amber eyes and white hair right above her.

"Are you all right, Ms. Higurashi?" InuYasha asked politely. He reached out his hand to help her up.

"You touched me!?" she screamed out. 'Now I have to disinfect my whole body!' she thought. She slapped his hand away. "You disgusting, filthy animal! Watch where you're going! GOD! Dogs have more brains!"

The insults hit him, but he didn't let them sink in. "I'm sorry," he apologized. His face showed no emotion though as she stood up on her own, and pushed him into the wall of the nearby diner.

"Don't say anything to me ever again! Filthy youkai!" she screamed behind her as she ran on to her school. InuYasha just stood there and watched her disappear down the street.

~*~Ma~*~

He was sweeping the dojo floor. "I can't believe she's so mean! Her mother is nothing like that, and even though I've only barely seen the grandfather, he seems nothing like her either. Where did she ever get her smart-ass tongue?" he said bitterly. "She's the worst human I've ever met! If things weren't like they were, I would show her a lesson. Why do they think we youkai will always put up with this kind of shit?" He stopped sweeping in an attempt to calm his rage as he looked around the small family dojo.

He looked at the swords on the walls and thought about the last time he ever touched one. "The day mom..." he didn't finish his thought, because Mrs. Higurashi opened the sliding door right then. He continued to sweep.

"InuYasha, dear, you can have a break," Mrs. Higurashi said as she brought in a rolling cart. It had sushi, oden, and tea placed on nice plates on the top. He slowly leaned the broom against the wall and came over to help her bring the cart into the dojo. "We're not suppose to eat in here, but I don't think you can eat in the house." She smiled at him sadly.

He nodded. It had been hours since he had come to work and he knew that the teenage Higurashi was now home. 'I've been fuming about her for over six hours?' he asked himself unbelieveably. 'I need to not let some lowly human get to me.' He looked at the woman. 'I sound like a human,' he thought. This made him mad at himself. He walked to some blue mats that were placed in the middle of the room, and sat down. His golden eyes showed his surprise when Mrs. Higurashi sat down across from him as they laid down the food.

"I'll keep you company," she said. He nodded and started into the food she made. He offered her one of the sushi wraps, "Oh, no dear. I ate already. This is all for you."

"Thank you," he said quietly. He started to eat, keeping in mind his manners.

"InuYasha, why don't you have school?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.

"I can't work and be in school at the same time. I need to keep my house," he told her. He didn't want to lie to her, so half the truth was what he gave.

"I could pay you more if you're in that much need," she said.

"I couldn't ask for more! You already pay me more then my father received when he first started work," he said, holding up his hand. "I don't need more. You pay me too generously."

The woman smiled again. She sighed and said, "InuYasha. You need school. I can't let you work here if you're neglecting your education. You want to be smart, don't you?"

"Of course, but...Don't fire me please!" he didn't feel hungry anymore. In fact he felt like he was going to be ill.

"I don't want to..." she started.

"I can't go back to school," InuYasha told her. He looked right at her. "I was kicked out."

Mrs. Higurashi expected him to say he would go back to school, not that he couldn't. She was astonished, "Why were you kicked out?"

InuYasha thought about it, and decided he couldn't have her not trust him anymore, "I can't tell you. You'll think horrible of me."

She looked at him, "InuYasha, tell me why you can't go back to school. I won't think any differently than I do now."

InuYasha picked up a sushi roll, but didn't bite into it. "I got into a fight and they said I couldn't come back until my dad brought me in. But... my dad's too busy, so I'm out of school." He looked at her.

"Did you start the fight?" she asked.

"No, he called my mom some disgusting names, and I was only protecting her. Then while I was washing up in the bathroom, two boys beat me up for fighting and beating up one of their friends," he pulled up his sleeve to show the still healing cut from a claw. "It'll be gone soon."

She inspected his arm. "InuYasha, it's okay to stand up for yourself and your family. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

He smiled slightly, "That's what I told Shippo last night."

"Who's Shippo?" Mrs. Higurashi asked. She watched the youkai boy bite into his oden. She waited for him to finish chewing.

"It's a boy we're taking care of now. His parents were killed last night," he said.

"Oh my! Who would want to kill someone?" she asked. Her face was almost on the brink of tears now.

InuYasha looked at her and asked, "You didn't grow up here, did you?"

She smiled and shook her head, "No, I grew up in a small Japanese town in America."

"Well, here there's a group of humans who call themselves the Youkai Extermination Society, or Y.E.S. They've been terrorizing youkai for so many years. They're the ones that kill youkai who go against The Separation Code. Shippo's parents were very active against the separation. That's why they were killed," he looked at the woman to see her reaction.

"They killed someone just because of how they think?" she asked. He nodded.

"They do worse, but this time they only killed them," he said in an almost relieved way.

She looked at him like he was crazy, "You sound almost happy they were killed."

"I'm not happy. They had been going through some of the worst torment. And the Y.E.S. has done worse then killing someone. They torture, torment, and do some things I don't even want to know about," InuYasha said. "At least Shippo didn't have to hear either of them dying. They would have done that just to make a point to the little youkai. Then, if no one claimed him, they would kill him. Orphaned youkai aren't allowed to live."

Mrs. Higurashi sighed in a depressed manner. "Not all humans are mean," she assured him.

"You're nice," InuYasha said. He didn't know if he should say anything, but his conscience wasn't on his side, "Not like your daughter."

"Kagome is a sweet girl. She's just placed this barrier up around her. I think it's more to fit in with everyone then anything else. She doesn't feel anger towards you, or any youkai," Mrs. Higurashi smiled as she remembered something InuYasha couldn't guess at. "Just stay away from her until she starts to realize her mistake, okay?"

He nodded and started to eat the rest of the food she had kindly made for him. He chewed on the chopstick as he thought about Kagome, a girl he just now found her name to.

~*~ Tsuzuku ~*~

France 2003


	4. Chapter 3

Prejudice

Written By: FranceGamble

Corrected By: Gigi-chan, and Trinity-33

Chapter Three

The October air was chilly, and the sun had set a while ago. The heat rolled off of the paved streets as they started to cool. InuYasha wrapped an arm around himself to save off the biting cold. His body wanted him to run and bring some of the heat from the days work back to his muscles, but he couldn't do that. He wanted to be on time, not early, to pick up the little kitsune from the after school class. Shippo had been worried about going, and had said he didn't want to go in fear that Y.E.S. would get the inu-youkai. InuYasha and Mr. Takoshi had assured the boy that nothing would happen to either of them, and that InuYasha would be on time to pick him up. And so now the younger Takoshi was trudging through the night air to pick up the new addition to his family.

InuYasha was lost deep in thought. Most of which now landed on the money problem. They had a new mouth to feed, and still barely any income coming in. Sure InuYasha had a job now, but he hadn't been paid yet. He received a bi-weekly check, and so wouldn't be getting the money for a while. He didn't know how they had lived so long with only his father paying the bills. Sesshomaru had refused to get his own job when he lived with them, stating that school was more important than spilling sweat over a grill. InuYasha shook his head as he remembered his older brother's words. 'He's so conceited sometimes. Only doing things that would benefit him,' the boy thought.

He stumbled on an out ridge of the sidewalk, and decided he should pay more attention to walking. Youkai rarely stumble, and it would make all youkai embarrassed to see him fall on his face, not to mention how he would feel. He sighed and continued to walk.

Right as he turned the corner to walk to the elementary school, he heard a voice. His left ear twitched as he came to realize whose voice it was, Kagome Higurashi. He turned his head towards the back of one of the shops that bordered the street.

"Listen, Onigumo, when I say I'll pay you back for the homework, I mean in my own time. I never leave debts too long, so you'll just have to wait," Kagome's voice rang out.

"I want a payment today," a male's harsh voice said. His words slurred, and he sounded drunk. InuYasha sniffed the air, as the wind blew harshly from their direction. 'Oh yeah, he's drunk,' he thought angrily. He started walking towards the two, hoping to stop the situation he knew was going to happen.

"Onigumo, please, listen to me for a minute. I will pay you back, but not like you want me too," she smiled at him. InuYasha watched from the corner as the man pushed the raven-haired girl against the wall.

"I want my payment!" he yelled in her face. Her disgusted look made it sure that she had noticed his drunken state. InuYasha wanted to walk forward and help right then, but he didn't. He stood back and watched.

"Onigumo, you're drunk. Why don't you go home and rest a while. Then at school I'll talk to you, when you're sober enough to talk," she said soothingly. Her smile was now replaced by fear, a fear that radiated off of her. 'So, she does get scared,' InuYasha thought.

The black haired teenager pushed her harder against the stone wall, "You promised me something for the homework, and I want it." The brown eyes took her face all in, and he brought his head down to bite her neck.

"Ah! No, Onigumo! Stop!" she screamed at the boy. Now InuYasha moved. He ran right at the boy and pushed him away from the girl he worked for. Kagome slid down the wall, as she had been being held up by the teenage boy she went to school with. A tear fell down her face. InuYasha looked at her, making sure she was okay. She looked up at him, then back down to the ground. Her whole body shook.

"What the fuck?" Onigumo said as he stood up onto his own feet and looked at his attacker.

"Leave her alone," InuYasha said silently.

"I'll tell the police on you youkai," Onigumo promised as he stumbled away from the two.

InuYasha looked at the girl again. She still sat on the ground, but she wasn't hurt. Not that he could see at least. Nodding to himself, he ran away from the girl. Now that he was late, he had to hurry to the school grounds. He also didn't want a tongue-lashing when the girl came to her senses enough to know she had been saved by a youkai. 'Well, I didn't touch her. She never said I couldn't save her,' he thought with a smirk on his face.

~*~Ma~*~

She breathed in another large gulp of air as she slowly made her way up the shrine stairs. Her heart was still racing from what had happened minutes before and the run home she had done. Now she was safe. She looked at her house, wondering why she even wanted to leave it ever. 'This world is horrible,' she thought as she walked through the front door.

"Kagome, where have you been?" Mrs. Higurashi called from the kitchen where she was cleaning up after the supper.

"I went for a walk," Kagome called back just loud enough for the woman to hear.

"Okay, it's time for you to do your homework," Mrs. Higurashi called back to her daughter as the teenager climbed the stairs to her room.

"Whatever," Kagome mumbled as she made it to her room. Opening the white door that had a sign on it saying, 'Kagome's Room: KEEP OUT!' she groaned, the door slamming behind her. She turned and looked around her room. Her mind playing tricks on her as she saw Onigumo's face in the shadows of her closet. She fell to the floor and shook in fear. When he didn't move after her, she stood up. Placing her hands in a defense position, she peered closer at the dark. She sighed when she realized it was only her sweater and gray t-shirt that gave off the mirage. She hit the objects and turned around. Quietly she went to her desk and opened a notebook entitled, 'Daily Entries.'

She started to write in it, her mind wandering to her attack today. 'Why didn't I fight for myself? I'm capable of ripping his head off his slimy shoulders. Why didn't I? Was I really so scared I couldn't even fight back? And why did that youkai help me?'

~*~Ma~*~

'Why did I help her?' InuYasha thought as he wrote another bill down into his notebook. 'I mean, why did I take such a defense about the guy touching her like that? He might have been just trying to scare her. No, he wasn't. He meant to do a lot more than scare her.' He sighed. Shaking his head he looked at the notebook.

He had accidentally written Kagome's name in a heart. "Now I know I have to be sick," he said as he lifted his hand to his forehead. "No fever, but maybe I hit my head on something." He took the white out and erased the doodle. Again he picked up his pen and started to write numbers and do that math to keep everything in order. His pen once again started to write words, 'Ka...' He stopped his pen. "Maybe I'm tired. Time for bed," he said again to himself.

He placed his notebook on the floor and reached to turn off the light. Sighing, he listened to the steady breathing of his dad and Shippo in the room next to his.

"Poor Shippo," he said as he shut his eyes and let sleep overtake him.

~*~Ma~*~

The sun shined through the window to her room as she turned over and tried to sleep some more. The birds chirped their music making the sleeping girl mutter something in her sleep. "If you don't shut up, I'm going to get my gun," she warned the music makers outside her window. They didn't hear and so continued their morning song. "Fine! I'm awake!" she yelled as she sat up. She swung her legs over the side of her bed and stood. Stretching, trying to reach the ceiling, she yawned. Her bedside clock read in bright red numbers eight AM. "Too early for Sunday," she muttered as she went to her closet to change out of her nightclothes, a blue and white striped shirt and matching pants, to her clothes for the day. She pulled her bright yellow shirt on and her blue jeans. Looking at herself in the mirror she went to her desk to get her hairbrush.

Looking out the window as she picked up the purple and white hair comb, she saw the one person she didn't want. The youkai who had saved her the night before was outside digging one of the long tunneled holes that was going to hold the new piping for the guest bathroom. Her eyes wandered over his strong arms as they reached high into the air and brought the pick-ax down into the tough dirt. Then again he pulled the work tool out and brought it over his head. This time as it lay in the ground after the powerful swing, he stopped and brought his arm over his forehead to wipe the sweat off. Breathing in deeply he leaned the ax against his legs. His arms went to the hem of his red t-shirt where he pulled the article of clothing off. Kagome's breath hitched as she saw his muscles contract as he once again picked up the ax with his left hand. His right hand threw the shirt to the side where he would pick it up later. She watched him work and wondered if he had a girlfriend. "WHAT! Wait a minute!" she yelled to herself. "Where did that thought come from?"

She quickly tore her eyes away from the white haired youkai and went to her closet again. "Kagome, just for the thought, you're going to train. And anyway, what if he's not there to save you again?" she said to herself as she pulled out her training gear, a short black top and exercise shorts. She grabbed her tennis shoes and went out her bedroom door to change in the bathroom, where she could finish getting ready for the day without the distraction of the youkai worker.

InuYasha was bored as he once again swung the ax down into the ground to break another rock. It was boring work when no one would talk to him, only stared at him. Yes, he knew she was staring at him through the window. He knew she stared at him, but what he didn't get was why she was. Was she really that mad at him to send him murderous glares through a window when she thought he couldn't see her? She moved away and went back to her daily, rich, spoiled life. He shook his head as he once again brought the ax into the ground.

"InuYasha?" Mrs. Higurashi's voice came to him from behind. He left the ax imbedded deep into the ground and turned around to look at her.

"Yes, ma'am?" he asked politely.

"InuYasha, you can have a break now," she said to him. "You've been working since sunrise. That was 5 this morning. I can't work you to death."

"I'm fine, ma'am. I can work a little longer," he said smiling. She shook her head.

"No, go take a half hour break. Don't worry, I'll pay you for the break," she said as she walked away. "If you need anything to drink or eat come into the kitchen through the back door," she called over her shoulder.

He watched her go to one of the shrine houses and then he looked at the ax. 'Work and finish now, or take a break so that I can work better?' he thought. 'Break for a little bit. I need something to drink,' he decided.

He started his way to the back of the main house where the kitchen's back door was. His mind raced through different things as he made his way to the other side of the house. As soon as he reached the backyard his feet stopped. There, right in front of him, was her: the girl who glared from the window, the girl whom he saved, and the girl who hated him entirely. 'Kagome Higurashi,' he remembered. And here she stood, half naked in front of him. Her tight shirt was almost like the black sports bra he could see underneath. The tight pants showed off her legs, and they were extremely short, like they could have been granny panties. He couldn't help but stare at her. His brain told him to move, but his body didn't comply with the order. She was doing some training movements, and it looked like she was killing her imaginary enemy over and over again. In fact, from some of the moves he wondered if her enemy was male. 'Maybe she's killing me,' he thought.

He was about to continue walking to the door, when he saw her turn and look right at him. 'Oh crap,' he thought.

She looked right at him. Her anger flared up immediately. 'How dare he watch me!' she thought. She balled her fist as he stood there. She wondered briefly he was afraid as she lunged at him. Her right fist went right for his face, but he brought up his left hand and caught it. He immediately let it go, and she tried hitting him with her left fist. Again he caught the offending limb and dropped it right away. As though it were a hot potato and he couldn't hold it long.

Her brown eyes narrowed, "You dare even look at me, youkai!" She tried to kick him in his family jewels, but he blocked that with both hands. While his hands were busy she went with a punch to his face, but he brought a hand up and blocked it. She was fast, but he was faster.

With lightning quick reflexes he grabbed both of her arms, turned her around, and pulled her limbs behind her. He held her there, her back to his bare chest. His sweat from the ditch digging mingled with her sweat. He leaned down to her ear and said in a quiet voice, "At least I don't stare through my bedroom window." He was angry; she could tell by the way his voice was scratchy. He was trying to keep his temper, but so was she.

"Let me go, asshole," she said with venom in her voice.

"The name's InuYasha, not youkai or asshole, Kagome," he said. He let her go right after and turned and started to the kitchen. She watched him go. The wind blew harshly at her and she wrapped her arms around herself to keep her arms from the cold air. After he shut the back door, she sneezed.

'Great, now I'm sick. And I blame him,' she thought as she glared at the back door. She sighed as she went to the front of the house to get inside, just so she wouldn't see him.

~*~ Tsuzuku ~*~

France 2003


	5. Chapter 4

Prejudice

Written By: FranceGamble

Corrected By: Gigi-chan, Elyndewen Startree, Trinity-33

Chapter Four

InuYasha walked up the many steps towards his job. His white hair flew behind him as a strong wind tried to push him back down. He sighed as he pushed against the annoying element. He finally made it to the top of the stone steps and started on his way to the main house. A loud banging was heard and some yelling. He stood at the front door looking up at the second floor. Right where he knew Kagome's Higurashi's room was. He could hear more screaming. His mind wanted to listen in, to eavesdrop with his extra sensitive hearing, but his logical brain said it was wrong. So, without giving into temptation he pushed the doorbell, waiting for his boss to answer. A couple seconds later the door opened and a little boy with short black hair stood in the threshold. "Good morning."

The boy crossed his arms, "Mom's busy."

InuYasha nodded. The boy didn't like him much, and had showed him such since the first time they had met. InuYasha swallowed the lump in his throat, "Do you know what I'm suppose to do today?" He was trying to be nice, to be polite, but again his mind was telling him that the human in front of him was a kid; a little brat that needed someone to give him a huge spanking.

"Yeah, she said that she didn't like stupid youkai, and that she was going to tell you to..."

"Souta!" the mother said was coming down the stairs. She looked angry, but then again, she also looked tired. Souta, the little boy, gave InuYasha an evil look, then stomped off. His path went straight for his grandfather's downstairs room. Mrs. Higurashi looked at InuYasha, "I'm sorry about that."

"Don't be sorry, Mrs. H." InuYasha said to her. He smiled, just to show her that he didn't take offense to what the kid said. Deep in his heart though, he felt like crying. "Today, we're leaving for my sister's house. She's having a baby, and we're supposed to be there. Unfortunately, Kagome won't be coming. She's sick. So, here's a list of what I need done in the next six days. Just leave Kagome alone, and if she says anything, ignore her."

The youkai nodded as he took the list from the woman and looked it over. Most of it was things he had been doing. Washing this, or sweeping that, the normal things he did. "Okay, I will have all of this done when you get back."

"Thank you. Just go through the kitchen's back door when you need something. That way you stay clear of Kagome," Mrs. Higurashi said. She went over to the key rack by the front door. "Here's the key for the back door. I made it for you, just in case. And this way the house can be secured for my daughter."

"Okay," InuYasha said.

"Alright, go ahead and start something on that list. We're leaving in a half hour," Mrs. Higurashi smiled at him. "I trust you InuYasha."

He nodded. This was big to him: a human trusted him to watch the house while she was gone, let alone be near the house why they will be gone. She went inside to finish whatever she was doing. He looked at the list again, "I guess I should sweep and wash the shrine floors first." He folded the list and placed it into his jeans pocket. He slowly made his way to the first shrine, where the fortunes were given out. He tucked his red t-shirt into his pants, to keep it from sliding against the floor when he washed it.

~*~Ma~*~

She leaned against her window frame as she hazily watched her family get into their black SUV. Her vision swayed, as the room started to spin. She leaned against the cold glass to steady herself. Her forehead banged against the frame. She licked her lips, trying to wet them. Her mouth was dry though, so it didn't help any. "Oh man," she said as she shuffled to her bed. She let herself fall onto the wrinkled sheets. Her gaze went to her bed stand. Her glass there, she picked up the cup. The cup tipped against her lips, but nothing came into her parched mouth. "Oh man," she grumbled again. Slowly her legs picked her up and she started on her way to the kitchen for a glass of something to drink.

She made it down the steps, not walking but rather sliding down on her behind. She feared falling while not seeing straight. Her world spun as she reached the bottom step. She searched along the wall with her hands. Her steps weren't always there, and she stumbled a couple of times. She felt a tear fall down her face. Her body ached, and her mind wasn't there. "Daddy, I'm sick. Please, help me," she mumbled, as she saw, what she thought, was her father standing in the kitchen. "Daddy!" she screamed. Then the world went black. She didn't feel her body hit the tile floor.

~*~Ma~*~

InuYasha walked through the back door to get his well deserved glass of water. He looked at the cabinet and opened the one he knew had the cups, then turned around to get to the fridge. He stopped in his tracks as he saw her lying on the floor. "Ms. Higurashi?" he asked the body. She didn't move. If he didn't hear her breathing, he would have thought her dead. "Uhm, Kagome?" Again she didn't move. He walked over to her, and kneeled down. He brought a clawed hand to her face. "Gods you're warm," he said. Slowly, and carefully, he reached under her and picked her up bridal style. "You have a fever," he told the passed out girl as though she was going to yell at him any second. "I'm just taking you to your room."

He walked up the stairs, and used his knowledge of the outside windows to figure out which room was hers. It wasn't hard, because she had left her door open, and the pink bed sheets all crumpled on the floor was another hint. He went to the bed and laid her down. Reaching down he grabbed the sheets and blanket and placed them on her. "Stay here. I'll get a rag to cool you down," he whispered as he moved a piece of hair out of her face. Grabbing his thoughts, he walked quickly out of the room to find that washcloth.

~*~Ma~*~

He placed the cloth into the bowl again. The ice cubes clanked against the glass sides. Using his strength he wrung the cloth out into the cold water, and placed the non-dripping white rag on the girl's burning forehead. Her fever burned the cold out of the cloth fast, and he was once again dumping it into the ice water. While he was getting the cloth wet, she opened her eyes. She looked over at him.

"No...no!" she yelled as she pushed herself against the wall, away from the helping youkai, "You filthy bastard!"

"Ms. Kagome, I'm just trying to help. You should stay still; you're very sick..." he didn't get to say more as she started to yell at him again.

"You're a murdering ass-hole youkai! Stay away from me! I hate you! I hate you!" she screamed at him. He ignored her insults the best he could. Reaching in, he tried to push her against the bed.

"You have to lie down. You have a fever," he told her. She just screamed. Insults flew from her mouth, as he tried in vain to keep her still. "Please, stay down. Please, I'm just trying to help!"

"Like you helped my father! I hate you! You killed him! You killed him!" she screamed as she struggled. She pushed against his arms, "No! Leave me alone! I hate you! I hate you!"

"Kagome, calm down. It's me, InuYasha. I didn't kill anyone!" he yelled back at her, trying to get her attention. She used her nails to claw into his arms, which were trying to hold her still.

"You filthy youkai! I hate you! I hate you!" she repeated over and over again. The words screamed into his brain, but he ignored them as much as he could. He pushed her down into the bed, holding her as lightly as he could. She struggled, and screamed more filthy words at him, "I'll kill you, Kael! I will! I swear I'll kill you for what you've done! DADDY! HELP!" InuYasha let the words roll off him, and soon she was calming down. Exhaustion was getting to her, and she slowly went limp on the bed. "No..."

"Kagome, it's okay now. I'm not going to hurt you," InuYasha whispered to the now crying girl. He slowly brought his hands off of her shoulders. His breath hitched in his throat as he saw the bruises he had caused on her shoulders. "I'm sorry Kagome; I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Why did you kill him?" Kagome asked as she stared right into his gold eyes. Her eyes slowly closed, and her breathing steadied.

InuYasha looked at the girl on the bed for a minute. 'She lost someone...Her father? Maybe she had another brother?' he thought. He sighed and dipped the rag into the ice water again. As he gently laid it on her head he said, "Kagome, I lost someone too."

~*~Ma~*~

She slowly opened her eyes. Her body ached and something cold was on her head. Slowly she reached up and brought the cloth from her forehead. 'How did that get there?' she though. She slowly sat up and realized she was in her room, and not on the floor of the kitchen where she knew she had passed out at. She looked around her familiar room, and finally noticed the youkai servant on her tan carpet. "InuYasha," she whispered. She watched his ear twitch, but he didn't move. 'He's asleep,' she thought with a small smile. 'He looks sweet while he's sleeping... Well, he must have taken care of me,' she tried to remember what had happened while she was fever ridden.

Her head started to hurt slightly, and she knew that she should go back to lying down. Reaching over, her hand clasped on one of her many blankets. "This doesn't mean I care for you or anything," she whispered to the teenager as she carefully spread the light blue blanket over his relaxed form. 'Well, maybe it does,' she thought as she laid back down.

~*~ Tsuzuku ~*~

France 2004


	6. Chapter 5

Prejudice

Written By: FranceGamble

Corrected By: Trinity-33, Gigi-chan

Chapter Five

He opened his golden eyes and realized quickly that a blanket covered him. He sat up swiftly, making the comforter fall down to his waist. InuYasha's eyes fell on the girl who was looking right at him. InuYasha asked, "Are you feeling better?"

She smiled slightly, "I'm sorry for the stuff I said to you while you were taking care of me. I didn't know where I was..."

"It's okay. I understand. You had a fever and were seeing things. It's understandable," he interrupted. "Thanks for the blanket," he said as he picked up the edge of the object.

She looked down at her bed and away from him; "It's the least I could do for taking me off of the cold tile floor."

He nodded and brought himself closer to her bed. Slowly he reached up and touched her forehead. Her eyes snapped up to look at him in shock. "Just checking to make sure you don't have the fever anymore," he explained. She smiled even wider, and he brought his hand away from her. He swallowed the fresh lump in his throat and said, "Nope. You don't have a fever, but you should stay in bed for a while. The flu is horrible this time of year."

"The flu? I thought I had a cold," she replied.

"Most colds don't get fevers that severe," he said as he went to the blanket that had covered him and started to fold it. He thought for a few minutes on how to ask his next question tastefully, "Uhm, Ms. Higurashi, can I ask you a question?"

"If you stop calling me Ms. Higurashi like I'm an old lady," Kagome snidely remarked back as she rolled her eyes.

He nodded, "Who is Kael?"

Kagome's small smile dropped fully off of her face as she stared right at the youkai. She opened her mouth a couple of times only to shut it again as she obviously searched for something to say. InuYasha sensed her uneasiness, "Stupid question. You don't have to answer that. I really am in no position to..."

"He killed my father," Kagome stopped him. She didn't look at him as she continued, "He was a youkai my father had cleared from a jail sentence in the United States. The youkai got frustrated, or something and just killed him."

InuYasha nodded, "That's why you hate us." She nodded. He sat down on the floor, "I have never killed anyone."

Kagome looked up at him and said, "That monster had never killed anyone before my father either. I'm sorry, but I've learned that youkai can be dangerous even if they seem nice." Her now solemn attitude became aggresive as she now glared at the white haired dog youkai. "You've been nice to me, but what if I piss you off someday and you kill me?"

InuYasha again nodded, "My mom was killed by humans. She had fled to China to get away from the racist people, but someone found out where she was. We received the letter a few days after she died."

Kagome looked at him again, but this time in a different way. He had lost one of his parents, just like her, and by the opposite side of the whole silent war. "Why don't you hate humans?" she finally asked.

He looked up at her, "I did for a long time."

She nodded for him to continue. He sighed, "My older brother knew my resentment towards them, and then started to date a human. When I told him of my ideas, he very roughly showed me that they weren't all bad. Sesshomaru and Rin are now married and going to have a child soon. They actually live in the old town where my mother died."

"InuYasha, I didn't know that. I'm sorry," she said. She slowly made her way off the bed and sat down in front of him. "I'm bored. Wanna play a board game?"

"Which one?" InuYasha said with a smirk on his face, "I usually win in any of them."

"Oh, we can be conceited too!" Kagome said as she pulled herself up to open her closet. "Pick one!"

~*~Ma~*~

The next day was filled with InuYasha doing his chores outside, and Kagome sleeping a lot. He had forced her to stay in bed the whole time. This made her very annoyed at first, but she never disobeyed him, except when nature called. He came up during breakfast, lunch, and then at dinner to bring her something to eat. It tasted wonderful, and she actually asked where he learned to cook.

A small blush covered his cheeks, "My dad works for a restaurant. He taught me." She smiled, and yawned. Her hand covered her mouth to be polite. "Hey, if you're too tired to eat then you should go to sleep. I'll just make you a really big breakfast."

"No, I don't want this good food to go to waste," she said as she took another bite of the rice. "I can go to sleep after I eat, and I've been sleeping all day anyway."

He shrugged his shoulders as he also ate another bite of his food. He ate more, but faster than her and was soon just watching her eat. She caught him staring at her, "InuYasha, it's hard to eat when someone is checking you out." This time she was sure he blushed, and giggled.

He rolled his eyes, just like she had done the day before. "Why do you have to tease me?"

"It's fun," she said.

"Yeah, well, as long as you're smiling and not spitting, I'm fine with it," he said as he stood to bring his plate downstairs.

"Did I mention how sorry I was for all that?" she asked.

He looked at the ceiling as if remembering, "About...twenty-six times now." She smiled. They both laughed, and he took her plate and left the room.

'He's really nice, and sweet. Why did I think he could be mean?' she thought in the lonely room. She knew the answer to that, but refused to even think it. "He even saved me from that awful Onigumo. And he has only been nice and kind and normal," she said out loud.

"I am normal," InuYasha said as he walked into the room. She gasped and clutched her chest. He smiled, "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. You know, talking to yourself will make people wonder about your sanity."

"I'm wondering about it right now," she commented. "How did you hear me?"

"Well, I don't have these ears for nothing," he said as he moved both of his white dog-ears, "And I was just in the hall when you started your talking to the ghosts."

"I wasn't talking to ghosts," she yawned.

"Okay, spirits of the dead," he supplied as he smirked at her.

"Whatever," she rolled her eyes. She pulled the blanket up and covered her whole body up. "Night InuYasha."

"Good night, Kagome," he said. He reached over to the light switch and flicked it down. The moon shinned into the room and he sat down in the moonlight. Her eyes closed and she went to sleep almost instantly.

~*~Ma~*~

"Now, your sister is probably asleep, so let's be quiet," Mrs. Higurashi said as she opened the front door. Souta yawned and nodded. "Good," she whispered. "Go to bed; it's late."

"I'm not going to argue," Souta yawned. The woman smiled as she brought in her quiet grandfather and watched him stumble into his room.

She came up the stairs right behind her son, and watched him walk into his room. Making her way to the end of the hall she slowly opened her daughter's room.

She smiled as she looked at the two sleeping teenagers. InuYasha was sleeping against the bed, his head resting on his crossed arms. Kagome had one of his hands in hers. The mother hated to wake either of them up, but InuYasha needed to get home to his own family.

She stepped to the bed, and saw one of his ears swivel towards her. She smiled as she kneeled down and whispered, "InuYasha, c'mon dear. Time to go home."

He opened his golden eyes and looked over at her. "It's not..." he protested

"I know," she said. She stood up and walked out of the room. She wound up in her room lying on her bed looking at the ceiling. "Thank you InuYasha," she whispered to the dark.

~*~Ma~*~

Two Days Later

He breathed a sigh of relief when the wind came rushing through the shrine grounds as he raked the yellow and brown leaves into a big pile. It cooled him down and he actually liked the shivers that ran through him.

His ears shifted through the howling element. He thought he heard some sobs coming from the shrine steps. InuYasha turned in time to see Shippo's red head come over the stone step's peak. "Shippo!" InuYasha called out. The little boy turned to him and ran on all fours to reach him. At the last minute the little kit jumped and landed roughly on the white haired youkai's chest.

"He's dead!" Shippo cried and shoved his tear soaked face into the young man's shirt for comfort.

InuYasha shook his head, "Shippo, you're going to have to..."

"Mr. Takoshi! Your papa!" Shippo cried against the red shirt. "He's dead. He's dead!"

InuYasha felt his legs go weak and he let gravity pull him to the ground. Slowly he reached up with one clawed hand and held onto the little boy. "Are..." his voice quivered and he swallowed the lump in this throat before he continued, "Are you sure?"

Shippo nodded his head. He looked up at the older youkai. Green eyes seeked comfort from gold that didn't know how to give it. "InuYasha, what are we going to do?"

InuYasha stared at the city away from the calm shrine. 'I don't know.'

~*~Ma~*~

She stood behind the large tree in the shrine grounds. Kagome had seen the kit come barreling up the steps.

"Mr. Takoshi! Your papa! He's dead. He's dead!" she heard the young voice yell out. Her hand flew to her mouth as she watched InuYasha collapse onto the ground.

"Oh, gods..." she slowly walked over to where he sat on the ground. He missed her presence but the young child saw her. She smiled sadly at him, "Shippo, come here, 'kay?" She held open her hands. He looked at InuYasha and saw that he had finally seen the young human. The dog youkai dropped his hand, a silent gesture to say that it was all right. The young boy jumped into her arms, and she hugged him tightly. She sat down next to the white haired teenager, "InuYasha, stay here with me?"

The boy in question looked at her, "Kagome, they killed him."

"I know," Kagome said as she leaned on him to give him comfort. "Stay here now."

His eyes turned away from her as he looked to the sun high in the sky. "They killed him with the sun still up. How could they kill him in the daylight and no one stop them?" Kagome had the same thoughts running through her head. He shook his head and stood up quickly. "Tell your mom I'm sorry," he said before he took off at his full speed down the steps.

"InuYasha!" Shippo screamed from the young girls arms. "InuYasha, don't leave me! Come back!"

Kagome looked at the crying kit, "Could you catch him?"

"I'm not fast enough. He's way older then me," he said. He looked at her, his eyes still leaking their salty grief. "What's going to happen to us?"

"You're both going to stay with me and my family," Kagome said as she stood up with the kitsune in her arms. "My mom will say yes, I know it."

~*~Ma~*~

InuYasha stepped into the small house. He half expected to see his dad come out from his bedroom and greet him, but only silence did the welcoming. "He's just at the store," he told himself. "He'll be back any minute, and yell at me for leaving work early." Even though he said this aloud he still knew deep inside that what Shippo had told him was true. He walked through the whole house, finally ending up in his father's room. There wasn't a body in there but the smell of blood filled his nostrils. "Dad..." he whispered. It had been cleaned, but he could still see the marks. Some of it smelled like his father, but the room reeked of human. He pulled back the tears that he wanted so bad to shed. "I hope you will see the freedom."

"InuYasha?" a female voice asked from behind him. He turned around ready to strike whomever it was. He growled when he saw her, and backed himself against the wall. "InuYasha, c'mon. Shippo is really distraught. You have to be there for him." Kagome walked forward and stopped when he growled louder, "InuYasha stop it! I mean it! I know what you're going through!"

When she snapped at him, he realized what he was doing. He stood up straight and again let gravity take him. He slid down the wall, and crumpled into a fetal position. He started to shake.

"InuYasha, I'm sorry. I do know what you're going through though. Please, please, come home," she said as she kneeled in front of him. He looked up at her. She had thought he had been crying, but he didn't have a tear in his gold eyes. Without warning he reached out and pulled her into him.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he said as he hugged her. "I'm scared, Kagome."

"I know," Kagome said, her heart pounding with sorrow for him. Her mind flashed memories of her own father laying in a casket in the funeral home. "I'm scared for you too."

For a half an hour they sat that way just holding each other. Then InuYasha slowly started to stand up. "Let's clear this place out, and go to your house."

"If you're going to live with me there's a couple of a rules," Kagome said with a small smile on her face. He tilted his head like a confused puppy. "Rule one: It's not my house anymore. It's our house."

"And rule two?" InuYasha asked.

"Only one rule," she smiled at him. Sighing, she reached over and hugged him. "Only one."

~*~ Tsuzuku ~*~

France Gamble 2004


	7. Chapter 6

Prejudice

Written By: France Gamble

Corrected By: Elyndewen Startree

Chapter Six

She held her hand on the door and listened to the music flowing though the slight crack from under the door. It was a woman with a wonderful voice. She sang the high notes and the low notes perfectly. Kagome knew the song. She had heard it once before a long while back when she was just a little girl. 'Wow, I haven't heard that in such a long time,' she thought as the melody for Baby Mine traveled through the room.

She pushed lightly on the door, causing it to open slightly. She could see the white haired boy sitting on his new bed. He wasn't facing her, but rather looking towards the tape player that was running. The speakers brought out the music beautifully. The black haired teenager slowly walked towards her new house mate. His ears didn't even swivel to show that he had heard her enter. 'He's spacing out,' she though as she made sure to make a noise with her foot, as it slid against the brown carpet floor. He still didn't move.

A new song started as she walked forward. Unconsciously she listened to the woman sing her words.

"Be brave little one. Make a wish for each sad little tear.

Hold your head up, though no one is near.

Someone's waiting for you."

Kagome's breathed in and held it. She had reached her friend and was standing beside him. "InuYasha?" she whispered. He looked at her, but only his eyes moved. Quickly he turned away again and looked at the speakers.

"Don't cry little one. There'll be a smile where a frown used to be.

You'll be part of the love that you see.

Someone's waiting for you."

"InuYasha, please don't hate me," Kagome said as she sat down next to the boy with long white hair. He didn't look at her, or even acknowledge that she was even alive.

"Always keep a little prayer in your pocket.

And you're sure to see the light. Soon there'll be joy and happiness.

And your little world will be bright."

"I don't know if I hate you or not right now," InuYasha said in a low rumble voice. Kagome noticed it had a slight hitch to it though. 'He's crying, or trying not to cry,' she realized.

"Have faith little one.'Till your hopes and your wishes come true.

"You must try to be brave little one.

Someone's waiting to love you."

The song ended as Kagome tried to think of what to say. "I know what it's like to hate the other side, remember? It will tear you apart. Just let it go, and be your kind self."

He didn't say anything as the tape in the deck stopped playing all together, a loud click making sure everyone in the room knew it was done with that side. Kagome leaned closer to him; scooting over so that she would be able to hear his answer if he whispered it again. Even though, in the quiet room, anything would be heard. "I hate them," he said. It was still very quiet, but it certainly held enough animosity to get his meaning across.

"I know you hate them for what they did..."

"No! I hate every single one of them!" He turned to her. She almost shrank back in fear. He could kill her right then and there. "First they kill my mother, they make my brother flee for his life, then Shippo's parents, now my father is dead. You humans make me sick! You kill everything in your paths; the forest, the ocean, and us!" He stood up and looked at his hands, not her. "We have these, but haven't used them on you." His claws gleamed in the low light of the ceiling fan lamp. He seemed to pause in his thoughts as he looked down at her. "Kagome..." he lowered his hands to his side, "I don't want to hate you. I'm sorry I made you afraid."

"InuYasha," she tentatively said. "You didn't make me afraid of you. I was afraid for you." True, for a minute there she had been afraid for her life, but she was more afraid that he would end up a prejudice bastard like she had been. She stood up and pushed herself into his body. "Just don't change."

She felt him slowly bring his arms around her into a hug.

~*~Ma~*~

His arms went easily into the back and forth motion of sweeping the shrine's main steps. He had finished all of them, and was working on the main entrance pathway. The leaves and dirt didn't give him any trouble. The wind stayed away, as though thinking it just wasn't a good time to play with the youkai. It was a wonderful Saturday afternoon. His white ears listened to the boys, Shippo and Souta, play in the sand box. They seemed to be digging tunnels and running Hot Wheels Cars through them. His golden eyes stayed transfixed on his chore. He didn't need to work for the money any more, but he did feel he needed to work to keep his room and Shippo's room in the main house. He felt indebted to the Higurashi's for what they were doing to the two poor orphaned youkai. Not many humans in Japan would have brought in "dangerous" youkai like them. 'But this family is different,' thought InuYasha. He breathed in the sweet smell of the fresh air. It wasn't that fresh, but he had long since gotten used to the smell of the buses and everything city life comes with. Another scent made its way into his nose. The scent of humans very close, and they seemed to be coming up the Higurashi Shrine steps. He walked slightly over, making sure to look like he was still working, and looked down the steps. Sure enough there were five teenagers coming up. Four were girls and the fifth was a boy. They were wearing the clothing for Kagome's school. 'Kagome had school today? But she told me it was a Holliday!' he thought. He moved away from the middle of the path, to give the humans enough room to pass.

They made it to the top and stopped right in front of him. The girls all stood there looking at him. The boy with slightly long hair, pulled back into a small pony tail, looked at the girls as he motioned for them to keep walking. "Hello, girls? I'm sorry to interrupt your ESP communication here, but we need to get going to the Main House? Hello? Anyone home?" he asked. He moved closer to one of the girls, an American by the looks of it, "Keri? Anyone there?"

"Cut it out, Miroku!" the South American looking girl yelled at the boy. She flipped her long black hair over her shoulder, as her brown eyes stared at InuYasha.

InuYasha didn't look at them. He continued to sweep the ground, following their movements with his excellent hearing and smell. He really hoped they would take the boys advice and continue on their way. Shippo and Souta had stopped their play to watch the scene. 'Just pick on me, not the kids,' InuYasha prayed.

The girl, with brown hair placed in a high pony tail, looked over at the children in the sand box as if knowing what InuYasha had been praying for. "Souta! What are you doing playing with that thing?"

Souta glared at the girl, "Justine, he's my friend! Don't pick on him."

"Uhm, guys! Kagome, remember?" Miroku, the boy, reminded everyone.

"Shut up," the girl with long black hair in a pony tail yelled at the boy. The insulted boy walked over to her and wrapped an arm around the quickly getting mad girl. A minute later she screamed out, "Pervert!" and slapped him smartly on the face. He had a goofy smile and the other girls laughed.

"Sango, that hurt," Miroku complained. His hand was on the quickly forming red palmed mark on his cheek.

"Hey! Youkai! What are you looking at?" the South American asked as InuYasha was caught staring at them all and their odd antics.

InuYasha looked back down at the sidewalk. 'I was looking at ugly humans that think they're better then everyone in the world!' he thought, but didn't speak. He knew he would get into trouble had he actually voiced his opinion.

"That's what I thought," the South American girl sneered as she smirked.

"Hey, Nidia! What's the difference between a rock and a youkai?" Justine asked the dark skinned girl who was already teasing the poor InuYasha.

"I don't know what?" Nidia asked back. Both girls smirked.

"A rock has a bigger IQ!" Justine threw the punch line. Everyone in the group laughed. InuYasha could hear Shippo sniffle as he let the joke touch into his soul. InuYasha let it bounce off of him; he heard better ones before. And it's easy to turn the jokes around and make them against the humans. He would have to reassure the kitsune later on.

He was happy when he heard the familiar sound of Kagome's feet coming towards them. He looked over his shoulder and saw her standing there with a tray. The silver tray held three water glasses for the three boys. Souta gladly went over to her and took the tray. He whispered something, and she nodded her head. "Hey, guys!" she called to her friends. The five teens forgot their torturing jokes, and went to their host. "What are you guys doing here?" Kagome asked them.

"We missed you in school today," Keri told her Japanese friend.

"I had something to take of here at home. My mother called the school," Kagome told the friends. She motioned for them to start on their way into the house. They followed her into the main house, leaving InuYasha wondering what did Kagome and her friends have in common any more.

~*~Ma~*~

Kagome sat in the living room, her friends all around her with their notebooks open. It was study session time, and they weren't studying. Choice of topic: The white haired youkai outside.

"Too bad slavery is gone," Nidia smirked. She drew something on her paper as the conversation continued. For some reason it oddly resembled the person in the topic.

"Why is that?" Kagome asked as she actually started to map out an equation for her algebra/trig class.

"Ah, for sex slaves of course!" Miroku sighed as he stared at something on the ceiling. All of the girls scooted away from him. He obviously didn't know what they were talking about, and had his head somewhere in the clouds; his perverted clouds.

Justine laughed as an image popped into her brain, "Miroku, if you knew what we were talking about, you probably would be stabbing your eyes out with a spoon right now." She giggled more, and the other girls, except Kagome, joined in.

"What are we talking about?" Kagome looked up at her four giggling friends. She was trying very hard to find what was so funny.

"Why, your new slave in the front yard of course! He's so animalistic, don't you think?" Justine said as she also started to doodle something on her paper.

"Well, he is a youkai," Sango said as she continued to work on a difficult English sentence.

"So what if he's a youkai," Kagome glared at her friends now. She knew what they were thinking. As they stared back in shock, she realized her mistake. She had stood up for the "inferior" species. She quickly grasped her mouth with her palms. 'Aw crap!' she thought.

"Sticking up for a youkai?" Sango asked as she leaned forward on the table. "I thought you wanted them dead as much as we did."

"I did...er, do want them dead," Kagome tried to cover. She was in trouble now.

"Kagome! Dinner time! Show your friends to the door!" Mrs. Higurashi yelled from the kitchen. Kagome thanked the gods and her mother right then as she quickly rushed her friends out of the house and assured them that she would be at school on Monday. As she shut the door and turned around she ran into something very solid, or rather, slightly solid. Her brown eyes looked up and into bright amber eyes. They were sad, she could tell that.

"InuYasha, what's wrong?" she asked the boy.

He didn't say anything as he turned around and walked to the dinning room table. She followed mutely.

~*~ Tsuzuku ~*~

France 2004 


	8. Chapter 7

Prejudice

Written By: France Gamble

Corrected By: My new computer software that corrects things now! ^_^

Chapter Seven

She sat in her desk and tried her hardest to ignore the whispers around her. "She's going to have a hanyou in seven months," someone said in a really loud whisper right beside her. She pulled her head down and covered her face with her hands. Which one of her friends would do this to her?

She looked over at Justine and Nidia who were both writing notes off of the board. Or, at least looked like they were; Nidia's paper was strewn with a drawing, and she was modifying it. Kagome leaned over more and looked closely. It was the picture of InuYasha, only now the picture was holding a baby with small ears. 'Nidia, you're the one who's sending this awful rumor around,' Kagome thought as she glared at the picture. How could one of her most trusted friends not believe that she wasn't part of a relationship with the youkai? Justine looked at the picture and giggled lightly into her hand.

"What should we do about it?" another whisper somewhere in the classroom asked.

"Let's kill her before she has it," someone answered. Kagome gulped and raised her hand.

"Yes, Higurashi?" the teacher asked the pale student.

"I'm not feeling well, may I be excused?" Kagome asked the math teacher. The teacher nodded her head, and pointed to the class door. Kagome didn't' waste time in grabbing her school bag and making a quick exit. She would have to hurry. In thirty minutes school would be let out, and then she would have to run for her life. She pushed open the double doors and ran down the school yard. Her home was only the thirty minutes away that she needed to get home, but with her running she will only be home in half the time. Half way home the tears started down her face.

~*~Ma~*~

He walked through the double doors going to his last class for the day. So far the other youkai had left him alone, but he wasn't going to quit being tense. "Hey dog breath!" a familiar voice called from behind him. 'So much for not getting into a fight,' InuYasha thought as he turned around. Five youkai stood right in front of him now. 'Ah great,' InuYasha thought as he recognized all of the youkai standing there glaring at him. The one girl was Kagura, and she was horrible even without her youkai powers. The four teenage boys were Kouga, and his hip-mate Tenma, and the brothers Hiten and Manten. One of each was a challenge enough for the white haired youkai, but with all five standing waiting for his blood... He didn't know what to do.

"What do you want, Kouga?" he addressed the obvious leader of this little gang. The evil looks he received were enough to know that this wasn't going to end in his favor.

"Doggy, listen, we've heard something that doesn't sound good for us youkai," Kagura said as she stepped forward in front of the group of boys.

"What did you hear?" InuYasha said, trying to keep up a tough front. 'Please don't mention my family,' he thought.

"Oh, something about a girl named Kagome, and her just happening to be HUMAN!" she screamed the last part, making sure her anger got across. InuYasha stepped back with one foot, making him better balanced.

"I don't know what you're talking about," InuYasha defended.

"You're living with her, dating her, and she's pregnant with your hanyou," Hiten said, as if reminding the inu youkai. InuYasha started shaking his head, trying to think of a way out. He could always run, but he knew he wasn't faster than Kouga. The three out of the five can fly. There was no way he would be able to get away; yet, he was going to try. He took off down the hall away from the group. The three wouldn't be able to fly in the hallway, and Kouga may be fast, but InuYasha was able to maneuver better than the wolf.

He heard their feet banging against the cracked marble floor. He slid against the floor as he turned the corner going for the next hallway. He was almost at the exit when something grabbed him from his collar and threw him down. The side of his head hit the floor where the tile had stopped and the concrete began.

He couldn't recover before the hitting and beating started. It happened so fast, that he couldn't remember them stopping, or hear the sounds of the Principal as he checked the white haired boy lying on the floor. "InuYasha, are you okay boy?" the old principal asked as a teacher next to him escorted the abusers to the office down the hall, where the dean would give them their punishment.

"I can't feel anything but pain, Principal Totosai," InuYasha muttered as he tried to get up from the floor. "Nothing's broken though."

The old man nodded and helped his student stand. "I think you should go home. I'll call your guardian," Totosai said.

"No!" InuYasha snapped. "I...uhm, I mean, I can take myself home." He was standing now. The world around his started to spin, but he stood straight. He waited a minute for the dizziness to leave. Sighing, just enough to cringe, and started out the doors he had intended on going through in the first place. "I'll be fine."

"Be careful, and don't get caught by Y.E.S." the kind principal warned. InuYasha just nodded slightly.

~*~Ma~*~

He had made it through the front door right after Kagome. Mrs. Higurashi was cleaning a really nasty cut on the side of his face when the front door opened and slammed shut in desperation. Souta and Shippo came running into the kitchen panting like they had just run the fifty yard dash after having run a marathon. "Mommy!" Souta screamed as he ran straight to the sitting woman. "Mommy they said they'd kill us!"

"Who said that?" Kagome asked. She fisted her right hand in front of her shirt. "I'll kill them for threatening you."

"They wouldn't tell us their names, but they said they were kids from Y.E.S. and a human with a youkai is against the rules. They said that they would kill us because we broke the law," Shippo started to cry.

Mrs. Higurashi reached forward, still holding onto her son, and pulled Shippo to her. She hugged both boys, "No one's going to hurt my family."

"What are we going to do, mom?" Kagome asked the adult.

"We don't need to stay here. This shrine only needs one person to care for it, and it's about time I moved away from my dad anyway. We'll go somewhere safe," Mrs. Higurashi told her family. She smiled the two teenagers as she hugged the little boys harder.

"Where's a place where we can all be together?" Kagome seemed full of questions.

"No, don't worry about it. Shippo and I will leave. I can't ask you to trouble with us any longer," InuYasha said as he stood up from the kitchen table. "Don't worry about us, we're just youkai." He leaned forward and tried to bring Shippo from the woman.

"InuYasha, you're part of my family now. You can't leave your family, can you?" she asked him as she pulled Shippo closer to her to keep the older youkai from brining him away.

"Family is a human term," InuYasha said. He gave up on pulling the young child from the mother, and stormed out of the room. They heard the door slam shut behind him.

Mrs. Higurashi looked at her daughter. "Go talk to him. I'll calm the boys down and set up where we're going to move to." Kagome nodded as she left the house to find the boy. When her daughter was gone she turned to the two boys. "Let's pack our things, and while we're packing Shippo can tell us what youkai call family." She smiled at them and they both climbed down from her lap.

"Well, InuYasha is a dog youkai. They live in packs, like wolves do. It really depends on the youkai, but InuYasha's the only dog youkai who comes from such a small pack. The dog youkai in our town had lots of pack members, but InuYasha only had his brother and father, and his brother did the unthinkable and left the pack," Shippo told them as they ascended the stairs to their room.

~*~Ma~*~

Kagome circled the shrine looking for the white haired youkai. After going around twice, she gave up looking, "He's probably not even on the grounds anymore. Figures he'd leave."

"Who left?" a voice asked. Kagome jumped from being startled and looked around. She couldn't see anyone. "Look up." She did. Her eyes came upon the person she had been looking for sitting in a tree. Not just any tree, but The God Tree.

"How did you get up on that branch? Do you know what tree you chose to jump into?!" she looked at him in shock.

"One, I jumped, and two, yeah, I know what tree it is," he smirked down at her. She had never seen him act so arrogant before. For a moment she was at a loss for words. This wasn't the youkai who was the obedient servant her mother had hired; this was a confidant boy who thought he could take on the world and win. This wasn't the real him.

"InuYasha, that's a sacred tree! Get out of it now!" Kagome ordered.

"Make me," he challenged her. He crossed his arms over his chest, leaned against the trunk, his legs comfortably straddling the branch.

If she wasn't so shocked, she would have been angry with him. Instead she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. "InuYasha," she whispered. She looked down at the ground, away from the youkai. A single tear fell and landed on the ground. She was shaking, her whole frame wrecking with the sobs.

She didn't hear him jump from the branch, or walk over. Somehow he was able to make no noise. She realized he was there when he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Why are you crying?" he asked. His voice was once again sweet and caring in its own timid way.

Her tear stained face came to look at him, "Don't hide again, please?"

"Me running out and hiding from you made you cry?" he asked.

"No. You acting like you are arrogant and bad tempered. That's hiding," Kagome told him. "I don't ever want to see you like that again!" He stepped back at her yelling. He placed his hand up, showing he didn't mean any harm.

"I'm sorry," he choked out.

She sighed a few times, trying to calm herself, "No, I'm sorry." She turned around, her black hair swinging from the speed of her turn. He watched as she stormed off into the house.

~*~Ma~*~

He looked up at the window he knew was his. It was open, just like he liked it. Crouching slightly he jumped up and landed on the sill. Sitting there, right where he landed, he sighed. Leaning against the side of the sill he thought about what he should do. "I wish Sesshomaru were here. He'd know what to do."

~*~ Tsuzuku ~*~

France 2004 


	9. Chapter 8

Prejudice

Written By: France Gamble

Chapter Eight

He stood waiting in the terminal. His hand clenched semi-tightly on her hand, asking for comfort the only way he would. She didn't turn to him, only squeezed his hand back, silently saying everything would turn out fine. He loved her because she seemed to always know what he was thinking. He used his other hand to pull the collar on his suit; for the first time since he had started to wear the nice clothing it was uncomfortable. She brought her other hand up, and pulled his hand away. "Don't," was the only thing that came from her sweet voice. He brought his gold eyes to her, then looked back at the terminal. Damn he was nervous, and he couldn't figure out why. No, he knew why. He had never really been there for his brother, and now he had to be. He sighed, and she squeezed his hand again.

"Flight 112, non-stop from Tokyo, Japan to Hong-Kong, China, is now arriving in gate 32," the announcer blared out in Chinese, then in Japanese, and at last in English. Sesshomaru took a step forward as he saw the 747 come into the terminal. He nervously looked down at Rin, seeing her dressed in her wonderful purple colored dress with white flowers dotting it. She smiled up at him, that one smile making half of his doubt run down and away. Yes, he could do this.

Finally the passengers started to disembark into the airport. It seemed to Sesshomaru as if everyone was coming off the plane in front of his brother, just to spite him. He wanted to growl, but held back the temptation as he saw why his brother hadn't come off the plane. Humans were coming off first, meaning the youkai had been placed in the back. Some of the humans were glaring at him, but he ignored them. They would soon learn that Hong- Kong was a lot different than Japan. After the humans had all left, except for a small family of a mother and her two children who seem to be just standing about, the youkai started to get off. He saw the white hair, before actually getting a glimpse of the face. He could tell his brother from anywhere.

He watched InuYasha walk over to the human family who had also come off the plane. The little youkai that he was holding jumped into the mother's embrace. Deciding it was about time he showed them he was there, he walked forward. His hand slipped from Rin's as he raised it for greetings. InuYasha turned around as he called, "Brother. Your trip was alright, I assume?"

"Yeah, it was okay," the teenage boy said. "They forced us to sit in the back though, and Shippo wouldn't shut up." InuYasha promptly glared at the young kitsune.

"Jeez, InuYasha, he's only a child," the female child of the human woman said as she rolled her eyes. "He was scared."

"Hello there. My name is Seika Higurashi," the woman introduced herself to him.

He bowed low, "My name is Sesshomaru Takoshi. I am InuYasha's older brother." He extended his hand slightly, testing what her feelings were towards youkai. She took it eagerly, and he shook it. 'She's not afraid, nor prejudice. It's a good sign.' He turned to the girl he had brought with him, "This is Rin Enkai." She bowed and also held out her hand in the human gesture of peace. The woman again took it eagerly.

"These are my children, Kagome Higurashi and Souta Higurashi. The little one I'm holding is Shippo," again the woman smiled lovingly and hugged the little boy closer. The human children brought there hands out and we took turns showing peace. Shippo nodded his head in the usual youkai greeting, Sesshomaru doing the same. With the introductions out of the way Souta broke the uncomfortable silence, "How did you know we were going to be here?"

"I called him," InuYasha said. He crossed his arms over his white t-shirt as if asking for the little boy to ask why.

"InuYasha said you might need a place to stay until you are able to get a permanent residence," Sesshomaru informed the group.

"That would be lovely. We were just going to look around," Mrs. Higurashi said.

"Please, follow us," Rin said with her sweet voice. She brought her hand out to show the way out of the airport. "We will get your bags then start on the way to the hotel we have already booked for you." She smiled at the family.

They all started on their way to get out of the staring mob of Japanese people.

~*~Ma~*~

The sun had been down for two hours. His light from the nearby table shone over the whole room with a dull light. His mind wandered over different things, things that had happened in just the few weeks he had known the Higurashi's. He unconsciously started to pull his clawed fingers through his long white hair. An old habit his father had tried to discourage. "It makes you look vain if you're constantly pulling fingers through your hair," Takoshi had told him.

InuYasha sighed, "Dad, what am I suppose to do now? I ruined their life. I ruined her life. She was fine hating youkai; hating me." He thought about his whole life for a minute, "If she doesn't know me, then maybe she won't die. Everyone dies in my life, or leaves me. I won't let her die, just because of me." He stood up and left his hotel room. Standing outside of the door to the Higurashi women's room, he listened. He could smell Kagome inside, and could hear her humming as she did something, probably worked on some sort of school work that made no sense in finishing because she would never be able to turn it in. He smiled slightly, then the amusement dropped as he realized what he had to do. Sighing, and gulping down the fear that had just suddenly taken him, he knocked on the door. He heard shuffling, papers rustling, and then the door unlocking. He stood face to face with the girl he suddenly couldn't get out of his mind.

"You shouldn't just answer the door. What if I was someone else?" he asked.

"Who else would knock on my door with a slight scraping of claws?" she asked. She smiled at him as he started to think about a plausible answer. "No one is the correct answer," she told him. She giggled slightly.

He again had to swallow the lump that had forced itself into his throat. "Kagome, I need to talk with you."

"Okay, c'mon in," she said as she stepped aside. He walked into the hotel room that mirrored his own. He didn't sit down when she offered the seat next to hers at the table. "What's on your mind?" she asked as she started working on whatever she had been doing before.

"Kagome, I don't think I should stay with you anymore," he said.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Everyone who stays around me dies or leaves. I'm just telling you that I'm leaving, okay? Thanks for getting me this far," he started towards the door.

"STOP!" she screamed. She grabbed onto his sleeve. "Don't do this to me."

He didn't turn around as he roughly pulled his arm from her, "To you? I didn't do anything to you."

"You're doing something now. You make me love you, then you leave me!?" she yelled at him. No tears came to her eyes, though.

"I never made you do anything! Hate me, Kagome. Hate me forever!" he yelled back at her. He grabbed her by the upper arms. "Hate me," he said as he lightly squeezed. "Or fear me."

"I know you won't hurt me," she said even though she could feel the claw close to puncturing her skin.

"I'm a youkai, I'm unpredictable," he told her as he let go of her arms. He looked down at his claws. "Don't follow me," he commanded before he ran out the door.

He didn't know where he was running, but he knew he had to get out of the hotel. He had seen a park while they had been driving to the hotel. Why was he running again? He couldn't think of the answer as he made his way past the throngs of nightlife people towards the empty park. He slowed down when he reached a playground with no one in sight. Sighing, he sat on one of the swings and started to push himself higher and higher. With each time he shoved his weight into the motion, he shoved his emotions with it. 'I did the right thing,' he chanted in his head as he tried harder and harder to flip the swing over the bar.

~*~Ma~*~

She shuddered as she heard him slam the door. Looking at her arms she confirmed that he didn't break the skin. She sighed, "He'll come back...I know he will."

A thought suddenly passed through her brain, 'What if he doesn't? What are you going to do then?' The tears finally came to her eyes, and she couldn't think of living without the youkai. "I won't," she said determinedly. She ran out of the room, the door locking shut behind her. Her feet took her down the stairs, to the main restaurant in the hotel.

"Mom," she said as she sat down at the table where her mother was drinking tea and having a snack.

"Kagome. Dear, what's wrong?" Mrs. Higurashi asked. She set her tea cup down and looked at her tear filled daughter.

"InuYasha left. He said that he killed everything around him," she sobbed. She didn't care if everyone were looking at her.

"He'll be back. I know it. Don't worry." Mrs. Higurashi calmed the teen.

~*~Ma~*~

He slowly came to a stop. He was finally out of energy, and he could feel the strain on his arms from pulling on the chains and pushing forward. His feet dragged against the cool sand, and he wondered if he could take off his shoes for a little while. "Who the hell cares what I do?" he asked as he reached forward to untie his old sneaker.

"I wouldn't do that," a voice said from behind him. He jumped off the swing and got low in a fighting stance. "Oh, calm down brother. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Who says?" InuYasha asked as he saw Sesshomaru come out of a tree's shadow into the moonlight.

Sesshomaru didn't acknowledge the insult. "I didn't come here to fight anyway; I cam here to give something to you." He reached into his black pants pocket and brought out a piece of white paper. It was small and obviously ripped from a larger piece. He held it out to the younger youkai.

"What is it?" InuYasha asked as he reached out and pulled the paper to him. He positioned it for the moonlight to reflect what was written on it. "58 North Kalama Street? An address?" he read.

"Yes. It's your mother's address," Sesshomaru told him. InuYasha looked up in shock.

"My mother's dead," InuYasha said angrily.

"I'm not supposed to tell you anything more. I was told to give you the paper, and leave. That is what I must do. Goodbye, InuYasha," he turned to leave.

"Wait! Just tell me, did she die?" InuYasha asked desperately. The older youkai stopped and looked at the younger one.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"I don't know what to think," InuYasha admitted. With that done, Sesshomaru walked away and seemed to blend into the shadows away from InuYasha's sight, hearing, and smell. "I don't know anything anymore."

~*~Ma~*~

Kagome walked into the lobby to see the last person she expected to see back so soon. He was sitting as if the whole world was on his shoulders, and it was going to be the end of it because he couldn't handle such a responsibility. "InuYasha, what's wrong?" she asked. She knew something must have happened besides the fight between them

He didn't say anything but pulled a piece of paper out from his jeans and handed it to her. "58 North Kalama Street," she read. "Whose address is this?"

He took a minute and then sighed, "Sesshomaru says it's my mothers. She lives here in Hong-Kong."

"I thought your mother died," she said as she again looked at the address.

"So did I," he said. He looked at her. His eyes screamed for her to answer all of his questions, the ones he wouldn't ask. She felt her heart melt beneath his gaze.

"We'll find out tomorrow morning. Early," she promised. Her hand went to him and she helped him stand; then embraced him, "We'll find out everything."

~*~ Tsuzuku ~*~

A/N: This chapter was my sister's birthday gift.  
France 2004 


	10. Chapter 9

Prejudice

Written By: France Gamble

Chapter Nine

The morning came fast for Kagome. The bright sun had already started to come through the blinds, but she didn't wake until her alarm went off. Quickly she snapped awake, and shut off the music that came through the clock. Cautiously she looked at her mother; the woman was still sleeping. Sighing, she stretched on her wonderful hotel bed, and then proceeded to get ready for the day ahead of her.

When she came out from the bathroom fully clean, dressed, and ready to go, she was surprised to see her mother awake. The woman was sitting against her head board reading a book. "Hey, mom."

"Hello dear. Going somewhere?" her mother asked kindly. Her face never came out from the book she was reading.

"Yeah, InuYasha and I are going to explore a little today," Kagome said as she tied her hair up into a high pony tail.

"Okay, be back by lunch so we can spend it together," her mother told her. "Noon, no later, understand?"

Kagome smiled, "Yeah, no problem mom." She headed out the door and turned to get the youkai from his room. She was surprised when they door opened before she could knock. Looking at the boy in front of her she thought maybe she was in the wrong place. He was tired, looking like he hadn't slept in years, and his hair was a mess.

"Give me five minutes, okay?" he asked in an exhausted voice. She nodded. He closed the door. Exactly five minutes later she was sitting against the wall counting the holes in the ceiling when his door opened again. He looked slightly better, but still beyond tired.

"Didn't you get any sleep last night?" she asked as they walked down the hall. He didn't say anything, so she took that as a 'no'.

~*~Ma~*~

Hong-Kong's streets were a large maze, but luckily Kagome had remembered to bring a map with her. InuYasha yawned beside her, and saw her shake her head. He hadn't slept because he had been so nervous. If this really was his mother's address, and she really wasn't dead, then what would happen to him? What if Sesshomaru was just doing this to be cruel? All of these questions ran through his mind all night long and he had stayed awake listening to the odd answers that followed them. He heard the two boys as they laughed and giggled in their bed, telling secrets or something, and then when their breath had evened out meaning they were finally asleep. Now they were going to trek halfway through the huge city, and he was tired.

"Okay, left here, then one more block, and we should be there," Kagome said. He voice snapped him out of his sleep walk. He nodded, still unable to speak without a slight slur of sleep. The information that he was just five minutes away from the answers to all of his questions the night before. He stopped, standing right in front of a chicken vender. Kagome realized he wasn't right next to her anymore, and turned around, "What's wrong?"

"What if it's not her?" he asked. His voice wasn't coming out as confident as he would've liked it to be.

"You mean: what if it is?" she asked back. He nodded slightly. "InuYasha, this could be the wrong information. We won't know until we check it out ourselves." She went to him, and grabbed onto the sleeve of his light jacket. "C'mon, it won't hurt to find out the truth." Pulling slightly on his arm, she was able to guide him down the street towards the high buildings of apartments and businesses.

They stopped in front of one of the oldest buildings on the street. "This is it," Kagome said as she looked at the piece of paper and back to the address on the building. She pulled on his arm as they walked up the stone steps to the door.

"I don't think I can do this," InuYasha admitted. She nodded, then reached her own hand forward and rang the bell.

An old woman answered the door and looked at them. She said something in Chinese.

"No, we speak Japanese. Do you?" Kagome asked.

The woman nodded. "What is it you wish child?"

Kagome spoke up again, "We're here to see Mrs. Takoshi."

The old woman looked down, "I'm sorry, child, but Mrs. Takoshi is dead."

"I knew it," InuYasha muttered. He turned and stormed off, 'Damn you Sesshomaru, you're an asshole.'

~*~Ma~*~

"Sorry, Mrs. Takoshi is his mother," Kagome informed the woman.

The woman thought about that for a minute, "Dear, I hate to say this, but I don't think Mrs. Takoshi could be his mother."

"What? But she had to have been," Kagome said. She looked back at where the boy had run away. "His brother said this was where she was living, and you just confirmed that."

"You don't seem to understand, child. Hana Takoshi was a human. She couldn't have produced a youkai," the old woman said.

"Human?" Kagome asked. "...How did she die?"

"She's had cancer for years. She was admitted here to the permanent care facility by her husband about thirteen years ago. About four days ago we went to check on her, and she was dead," the woman answered.

"Four days ago? She didn't die thirteen years ago? And she's a human?" Kagome turned the information around in her head. "Four days ago Mr. Takoshi was murdered...how could they die on the same day?"

The woman sighed, "Come in, child. We have her things still anyway, and need someone to take it." She turned so that Kagome could walk into the building. "My name is Kaede."

"I'm Kagome; Nice to meet you. Please don't mind InuYasha. He's had it rough," Kagome said as she walked into the building.

"From what you're saying, his life is going to get worse," Kaede told her as they went into the living room.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.

"Well, if Mrs. Takoshi was a human, and her husband was a youkai, then InuYasha would be..."

"Oh gods, he's a hanyou?" Kagome said as she sat down on the couch. Her legs had given out. "That would explain some things, but he's alive. How can a hanyou live?"

"I don't know how they were able to keep it a secret, because at the time InuYasha would have been born there wasn't a place on Earth that didn't despise youkai/human marriages. He's probably the only hanyou alive at his age," Kaede folded her hands in front of her. "He probably doesn't even know it."

Kagome thanked the woman, "I have to find him and tell him. He needs to know."

"Come back later and pick up her things, okay?" Kaede asked the teenager. Kagome nodded and ran out the front door.

~*~Ma~*~

He knew where he was going. He could smell his brother and knew the house that he stopped in front of was Sesshomaru's. He clenched his fist and walked up to the front porch of the house. Banging on the door, he waited impatiently until it opened. The young girl who was with his brother at the airport stood there. "Rin, where's Sesshomaru? Get him now!" The girl wasn't scared.

"He had to go to work, InuYasha. He's not home. He won't be home 'til tonight," she informed him calmly.

"Fine, you tell him that he's a fucking liar. Tell him that if he ever does what he did to me today, again, I will fucking kill him, dismember him, then throw him into the Pacific Ocean!" he yelled at her.

"I'll be sure to tell him," Rin said, again she was really calm.

He stomped away, leaving a young woman shaking her head and closing her door.

~*~Ma~*~

When she finally found him, he was sitting in the sand next to the swings in the park down the street from their hotel. "InuYasha," she said as she sat on one of the swings.

"He told me she was still alive. He said I could find her there," InuYasha said in a small voice. He wasn't angry anymore.

"InuYasha, can you push me?" Kagome asked. He stood up slowly, and went behind her. He started to push her forward, and waited for her to return before he pushed again. "I talked to Kaede for a little bit after you ran away."

"Who's Kaede?" InuYasha asked.

"The woman who takes care of the place where...where your mother stayed," Kagome said slowly. She couldn't see him; that was one of the reasons she had wanted him to push her on the swing. If she couldn't see his reactions then she could continue. "InuYasha, your mother, Mrs. Takoshi, was a human. Kaede says that she believes that if Mrs. Takoshi is your mother, then you have to be a hanyou." He stopped pushing her. She looked over her shoulder to see him walking around to stand beside her.

"Hanyou don't exist," he said firmly.

"There have been a few cases, but they never reach adulthood," she said back. "Until now."

"I can't be a hanyou. I was born in Japan. I would have been killed the moment I breathed," he reminded her.

"InuYasha, maybe she hid you...she died four days ago, so whatever secrets she had she brought them with her," she sighed, "Maybe Sesshomaru knows the answers, and that's why he gave you the address. He wanted you to find out the truth."

"What's the truth?" InuYasha asked. He finally looked at her.

"You're a hanyou, and your father was keeping you and your mother alive," Kagome said. "I don't know how he was keeping her alive, but she died the same day he did...

"Bonding," he said.

"What?"

"He made a youkai bond. Probably when she got sick, he bonded with her. It meant that when he died she would, but since he was a youkai he should have lived for another hundred years or so. She would have stayed alive just as long. He probably didn't expect to be murdered, or he would have cut the bond and let her live for how many ever years she had left," InuYasha sat down again on the sand again.

"That would explain that, but what about you being a hanyou?" she asked.

"I thought I had a disease..." he admitted.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I wasn't as strong as my dad or brother, and once every month I'd lose all of my youkai abilities...I become a human," he looked at the sand again. "I'm a hanyou, but why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Because, if anyone, besides us, knew then you might be hunted; humans will hate you, but you're used to that. Youkai will hate you as well. You won't ever live a peaceful life," Kagome told him. She dragged her feet and stopped herself. "You have to live."

"I'll live...we do need to talk to my brother though. I don't know how I'm going to approach him now..." InuYasha laid back and looked at the bright sun overhead.

"We can think about that later, right now its noon. I promised mom that we would be back for lunch. Try and act happy for her," Kagome smiled at him. He stood up and she did too. "Just don't think about it, and live happy."

"You're an odd girl," InuYasha told her. She smiled and jumped at him. He flinched and caught her. "Very odd," he said as she was being held by him.

"I know. I'm like this because I know it makes you happy," Kagome said happily as she pulled herself away. "C'mon I'm hungry." She grabbed his hand and led him back to the hotel; they never let go of each other's hands.

~*~ Tsuzuku ~*~

France 2004


	11. Chapter 10

Prejudice

Written By: France Gamble

Chapter Ten

Kagome looked down at her hands as she dusted them off against a bright colored dish rag. "So, what was his mother like?" she asked Kaede, as the old woman came into the bedroom with drinks.

"She was polite; very polite. She didn't talk much, but when she did, she didn't speak of anything besides her child and husband. She told me that she was patiently waiting for her son to become an adult and visit her. I don't know if she knew that InuYasha thought she was dead," Kaede walked over to the young girl and set the tray down. They both started in on the cold ice tea.

"I think she knew he thought her dead, but suspected she would live to be able to call him and say she was really alive. Or maybe even back from the grave he thought her buried in," Kagome said thoughtfully.

Kaede didn't answer.

They sat for minutes sipping their drinks and thinking. A loud crash brought them out of their thoughts, and made them both rush into the main living room. "No! Stay away from me!" Kagome yelled as a man, who clearly jumped through one of the large windows approached her and tried to grab her arm.

~*~Ma~*~

"'I want something to eat,' " InuYasha mocked Kagome's voice as he walked down the street toward the old house.

He rounded the corner and watched a white minivan tumble down the narrow Chinese street. It almost hit him in its rush to make it to the green light. "Ass-hole!" InuYasha yelled angerily to the driver.

He turned to the house and looked up. His anger quickly fled as he rushed up the stairs to the door. The side window was smashed in, and he could see glass everywhere in the main living space. The old antique couch had a foot hole in the middle cusion and things were strewn everywhere. An obvious struggle had taken place. 'Kagome?' he thought as he frantically opened the door and went searching through the small home.

In his mother's room he found boxes, and some tea had been set out. It was still very hot meaning the kidnapping had taken recently. "KAGOME!" He yelled at the top of his lungs hoping she was hiding, and that his worst thoughts at that moment weren't true. "Kagome, it's me, InuYasha! Come out..." his voice trailed off. His mind instantly thought about all of the bad things that had happened recently.

'I hurt everything I touch,' he thought despairingly for a minute. Shaking his head violently he pushed those thoughts away. He needed to find Kagome and the old woman. Sniffing he went to the living room and searched with his nose what the kidnappers smelled like. "Fish... oil... or maybe that's tar... salt water..." He tried to think quickly where somewhere like that would smell of all of those things. He caught Kagome's scent and some blood mixed in with it. 'She's hurt,' he grew angry again.

Again using his nose, and his brain, he followed the scent of Kagome's blood out to where a car or truck had been parked. 'The harbor close by will have all of those things...' he thought. He looked down the street toward where the harbor. 'The van that almost hit me... that could have been them,' he grew even angrier as he leapt to the top of the roof tops and started his quick running toward the sea. 'Kagome, you'd better be okay.'

~*~Ma~*~

"What do you want with me?" she asked again. Her eyes were covered and she wished for anything for a glass of something to drink. "Please, at least give me something to drink. I'm thirsty."

Something cold hit her bottom lip and slowly started to tip into her mouth. She was expecting water or tea, not the harsh liquid that hit her mouth. She spat it back out when she got her first taste of it; it was oil or petrol. She heard a light snicker as she gagged and tried to get the horrible taste out of her mouth. Tears slowly started to come forth as she realized that she couldn't control her situation.

Would anyone be able to find her? Why hadn't she heard from Kaede since she woke up? Why would anyone kidnap her? And so many other questions ran through her head. Unfortunately none of them came with answers.

~*~Ma~*~

He stopped in front of the large pier looking at all of the warehouses. The wind rushed off of the sea, forcing him to have to clear his nose. 'Great! Now I can't even sniff her out. I'm going to have to search every building and hope I find them before they see me,' he thought bitterly as he started on his needle in a hay stack quest.

~*~ Tsuzuku ~*~

A/N: Don't forget to review!

France Gamble 2005


	12. Chapter 11

Prejudice

Written By: France Gamble

Chapter Eleven

He shoved forward pushing the hanyou away from him. His arm hurt, a lot; looking at his left paw he could see the blood trailing from a wound hidden underneath his shinny coat. Yes, that is going to take a long time to heal…well, a lot time for him. He jumped out of the way again as another tendril of some sort of octopus kind of leg came out at him. This was getting redundant, and every time he cut one of Naraku's tendril things it grew back. He needed to go for the head. He had to stop this and save his little brother.

"Sesshomaru, you have no spirit left. Give up!" the evil bastard said to him. His words enraged the youkai.

"Shut up and fight!" Sesshomaru yelled back. His white fur flowed behind him as he lunged forward for another attack. His claws slashing at a few of the tendrils again, before finally hitting his mark; his left paw went right through the hanyou's throat. "Die."

Naraku started laughing. "I don't die so easily," he gloated.

"Let's see about that," the older youkai pulled his paw up, slashing right through the guys head. Pulling his paw out and jumping back to stand about ten feet away from the kidnapper, he continued, "Regenerate that."

Naraku gurgled something, then fell forward. His body became a normal looking youkai's or humans. Blood seeped from various wounds Sesshomaru knew he didn't inflict upon him.

He quickly turned back into his human looking form. Grabbing his arm, he turned away from the dead corpse, and walked into the building. His eyes adjusted immediately as he stepped into the warehouse. "InuYasha?" he asked out loud as he scanned the box ridden building.

A small moan caught his attention and he turned a corner to see his brother tied to a chair with a cloth over his face. From where he stood he could smell the chloride coming from the material. It was a small amount, not enough to knock a human out, but easily put a very sensitive nosed youkai, or in this case hanyou, out into unconscious land. 'So his wounds aren't what are keeping him under,' Sesshomaru thought as he walked to his brother. "InuYasha, are you awake under there?" the older brother asked as he pulled the cloth away from his brother's head. No, the hanyou was out and dreaming. Nothing could ever be easy, could it? He looked down at his arm, bleeding slight still, knowing that if he carried his brother with one arm it would be uncomfortable. "InuYasha, wake your lazy ass up!" he screamed at his brother.

"He won't…" a voice said behind him. He turned around to see a human standing next to a huge crate a few feet away. It wasn't the human that got his attention though; it was the amount of explosives strapped to the human.

"Now don't be rash," he said tensely as he walked forward towards the said human. "I think you should calm down, and think about this. Do you really want to kill yourself for some lowly youkai?"

"I didn't put this on me," the human said. "He did. I can't take it off…"

Sesshomaru understood immediately what had happened. Naraku had over powered the human and had strapped the bomb to him. Obviously Naraku knew he wouldn't survive the battle between him and Sesshomaru, so he was going to take all his cookies in one box. Swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat he scanned the room for something to use to remove the bomb from the human.

The boy let a tear slide down his face. "He said that I could have her, and so I helped him. I don't want to die. I just wanted her." He was going to go into hysterics soon, it was obvious.

Sesshomaru saw nothing that would be used to dislodge the bomb safely from the boy, but did notice something new about his surroundings. They were in a fireworks warehouse. "Oh you've got to be kidding me," he whispered as he read the Chinese words on the side of the crates. "Figures."

He went back to his brother and lifted the boy out of the chair. He wasn't strapped down because they knew he wouldn't wake up to escape. Looking back at the human Sesshomaru briefly wondered if he should save him somehow too. There must be a way to remove the explosives, right? No. He looked over the boy; there wasn't any way to get them off without blowing them up. His brother took priority over any human, besides his Rin of course. Leaping to the highest point he could, he reached one of the top windows and leapt out into the setting sun's light.

A few seconds later the building exploded in a tremendous bright light of fire and heat. Sesshomaru felt a slight pain for the crying human, but then again, the human did kidnap his brother and his brother's girl. The pain in his conscious was reduced to nothing at that thought. Two saved and two dead. Sounded like a fair trade to him.

~*~Ma~*~

He could hear soft whispering coming from the other room. Was he still in the warehouse? How the hell did he get in this dark room? He wasn't in a dark room, his eyes were closed! Feeling stupid, he opened his eyes to a bright light. Nope, he's not doing that again. He shut them tight again. That hurt a lot! He groaned slightly against the pain that inflicted his poor golden eyes.

"I think he's waking up," he heard a female say. No, not just any female, it was Kagome. He could hear her coming closer to him, his triangle ears swiveled to listen better as she approached him. "InuYasha?" she whispered next to him. Her hands pulled his bangs from the top of his forehead back.

He groaned slightly. His head hurt, but she was making it feel better. "Kagome…" he whined.

"Shh, it's okay now. We're safe," she sat down next to him. He was lying on a bed, not a large one, but a twin sized one. Slowly he opened his eyes to look at her. She was cleaner than when he had seen her in the warehouse, and wearing new clothing; a pink t-shirt and sweat pants. She was overall very comfortable looking.

"I'm sorry," he said. He couldn't look at her long.

"For what now?" she asked him. "I don't think of anything you should apologize for."

"I couldn't save you," he answered sadly. Slowly he turned away from her, so that she wouldn't be able to see the angry tears that were starting to fill his eyes.

"What? You at least tried to save me. You went in bravely, that's all I could ask for. Please don't think that anything would have gone differently if you had done something different. You can't change the past InuYasha, just learn from it," she ran her fingers through his hair as she talked, trying to sooth him. "Just rest for now; the stuff that knocked you out was strong."

"Thank you," he said after a little bit of silence. Slowly he closed his eyes as she continued to pull her fingers through his silver hair.

~*~Ma~*~

"That's my candy bar!" Shippo yelled at the hanyou the next day as they walked down the street.

"You weren't paying attention so you don't deserve it!" InuYasha said as he shoved half of the said chocolate into his mouth. Shippo paled as he watched the rest of the candy disappear.

"MOM!" Shippo whined to Mrs. Higurashi.

"Stop fighting you two," she said sweetly as she continued her shopping in the market. Kagome looked over at the three boys. They were obviously bored with shopping, and it was getting them antsy. When they got antsy they fought.

"Why don't you take them to the park, InuYasha?" Kagome asked as she pointed down the street. "Mama and I can meet you when we're finished. Here's some money for the vender on the corner, get some ice cream, okay?" She had successfully broken up the fight and had made them all happy again. She held out 20 dollars. InuYasha slowly took the colorful money from her.

"Are you mad at me?" he asked.

"No, just stop getting bored and watch them carefully," she smiled. "I'm doing this because I know how bored I used to get when mom shopped. Don't worry."

He smiled back and took the money. Picking up the young kitsune, and grabbing onto the human boys hand, they started their way through the throng of people towards the park.

"Kagome isn't mad, is she?" Souta asked. InuYasha shook his head. "Good, let's have some fun!" He started to pull on InuYasha's hand and guide them through the crowds.

~*~Ma~*~

"How's Kaede?" Mrs. Higurashi asked her daughter as they stood in front of the fish stand.

"She was shaken up a little bit, but luckily they had placed her in another warehouse then the one that blew up. She should be fine in a few days," Kagome answered as she sorted through some of the fish to determine which one would be the better buy. "Are you upset with what happened?"

"Of course, but I do trust InuYasha to protect you. I know he wasn't completely there this time, but I know if you screamed right now he would be here quicker than a moth to a lantern," she sighed and draped her arm around her daughter's shoulders. "I trust you and him."

"I can't believe I was prejudice against him, mom. It seems like a million years ago when it was just last week we left Japan. Are we ever going to return home? I miss grandpa," Kagome picked a fish and showed it to the lady.

"5 dollar," the lady said.

"4," Kagome answered back.

"4 and half!" the lady said and shook her head.

"Deal," Kagome grabbed out a couple coins. It had taken her only a day to get used to the haggling that happened in China, but it was worth it. She made sure the lady didn't switch out the fish as well, because a lot of places hated it when foreigners got a lower price then what was being asked; most of the time, though, they raised the price just for the foreigners.

They started walking back to the park where the boys were waiting.

"Kagome, don't think that because you were prejudice that he holds anything against you. He's going through a rough time too, remember that. He probably misses Japan too, just in a different sense," Mrs. Higurashi smiled and continued to escort her daughter through the crowds.

He watched them from the hill high above. "Higurashi, you'll pay for this…"

~*~ Tsuzuku ~*~

France Gamble 2005


	13. Chapter 12

Prejudice

Written By: France Gamble

Chapter Twelve

He stood across the busy street that was only wide enough for one way traffic, but the Chinese people didn't seem to mind as they tried to squeeze their cars through going both ways. His dark eyes watched the hotel across the way with intensity that could kill anyone in the line of vision. He waited patiently and at the same time was willing for his prey to hurry out. He needed to do this; to get even with the one family that ruined everything. He would just kill the man, but he did that already. He needed to finish what he started, and here lay his project. They had gone into the hotel hours ago, but soon it would be the time they left for their afternoon meal. He knew this; he had been watching them for the past two or three days: ever since he had caught a glimpse of the woman in the market place. He found them, and only by following small scent trails from other youkai.

He was about to give up and turn away from the shadows. He was going to follow the wave of people in the street and come back later that night and just finish it, when he saw what he came for; the family that needed to be exterminated.

The woman came through the double glass doors first, followed closely by the rest of the family. Counting he wondered why two youkai were with them. What could they be doing with two youkai; a young cub and a male teenager? The little boy Higurashi, Souta he recalled as the name, seemed to be brotherly toward both youkai. It wasn't until the girl, Kagome, was pulled gracefully against the side of the white haired inu-youkai that he found the connection. They were either mates, or going to be soon, by the way he held possessively on the teen. He growled. He really didn't need the aggravation of a male youkai on his hands, and he didn't want to kill a brother in species either.

~*~Ma~*~

She laughed as he pulled her closer to his side and wrapped an arm around her. "What's so funny?" he asked acting affronted. She just giggled more and couldn't seem to stop. He smiled slightly. If he got her laughing, then that was fine with him. He had originally pulled her toward him because he got the feeling someone was watching her closely. He didn't want to let any other people get any idea that the pretty human was free. He belonged to her and her to him. The feeling was mutual; she had made sure to promise him that when he had asked her if she still cared for him after he was unable to protect her. He remembered the conversation well.

FLASHBACK

_**He sat stiffly on the bed looking at his reflection from the vanity that sat on top of the drawers across from him. He felt awful. He had to have his brother save him! What kind of youkai was he? 'Not a youkai,' he reminded himself. He was a hanyou. A half breed that shouldn't have even lived passed the first breath he took of life. He could feel the angry tears start to swell in his golden eyes. It had been the reason he was unable to beat his brother for so long, why he had been picked on in school and had been unable to beat the bullies; it was why he had been unable to beat the stupid hanyou Naraku who had taken his Kagome away.**_

_**"InuYasha?" a sweet voice called from the door that separated the rooms of the hotel. He looked up at the door next to the dresser.**_

_**"Yes?" he called out. Luckily his voice didn't squeak. The door opened and in came the woman he wanted to protect forever, but didn't think he ever could.**_

_**"Are you alright? Mom said you've been in here all day, and was snappy earlier to the boys," she informed him as she came in all the way and sat on the side of the bed next to him. He didn't look at her, just kept his face down looking at his hands. He knew she wore her night clothes, the pink ones with white bunnies on them. He liked them because she always looked so innocent in them. "InuYasha?" she asked again.**_

_**"I'm fine," he whispered. He knew that he wasn't going to run away from them, but he needed to get stronger. All his life his father and brother had fought his battles, and now he couldn't defend himself. He had been teased and beat up by youkai and humans alike, and he couldn't defend himself from any of it. Now he needed to get stronger so that he would be able to keep the one thing he now cherished safe: The Higurashi family.**_

_**"You're not fine. I can tell. InuYasha, what's wrong?" she asked him. Her hand went out and touched his own on his knee. "Please tell me."**_

_**"I couldn't protect you," he whispered.**_

_**She didn't move for a minute. "InuYasha, stop it!" Her outburst made him look at her. "Just stop it! We love you here, and we don't care if you can't protect us. It's enough that you even came to the rescue in the first place! I love you for you, not because you're a tough guy, or because you can beat up other youkai. I love you because you're brave, because you know you might not win against them but you still come to the rescue. A mere human boy wouldn't have even tried to defend me at all against that ass hole, but you busted right in."**_

END FLASHBACK

She continued to giggle at him as he found out what was making her laugh. She was ticklish on the side where he had taken hold. Smirking playfully he wiggled his fingers making her try and get away. He had a good hold though and was just enjoying the game as they were making their way to the local market street. Yes, he loved her laugh. He thought back slightly to the past month that he had first met this family.

Had it only been a month? He couldn't think that it hadn't been more than that, but alas it had. How could a month feel like such a short time for them? 'Oh well,' he thought as his fingers once again gave a slight twitch into her side. It had seemed a life-time, but he wasn't complaining. If it meant that one human could change in a month's time, like Kagome had, then maybe they all could one day.

Another thought ran through his mind. Over half of the world still was separated from youkai. Only passed the Japan Sea was their old home, and still a segregated way of living. They couldn't stay in China forever. This wasn't where they belonged; it was only what seemed like a long vacation. They were still living in a hotel, for the gods' sake, and they hadn't even started to search for a real apartment. No, there still was the shrine back in Japan to attend to when everything calmed down enough to return; if everything ever calmed down again.

Now he was only thinking unrealistically. There was no way that Y.E.S. would just back down against their family. How could they ever go back to their home country again and live peacefully together?

"Something wrong?" a voice asked from beside him. He looked down into her eyes. Shaking his head he decided that those thoughts could come around at another time. They would figure things out later, when they weren't in a crowded street. They made it to the market place and started to look around for their next three meals, like they did every day.

Kagome laughed and said something to her little brother who was using the chop sticks at the cutlery shop as walrus teeth. Shippo took two eggs and placed them as eyes on this face and started to growl slightly and chase the "walrus" Souta around the area. Mrs. Higurashi was looking at the vegetables for that night's oden soup. Everything was perfect in his life.

Then the seven Hells decided to open up right in front of him.

~*~ Tsuzuku ~*~

France Gamble 2006


	14. Chapter 13

Prejudice

Written By: France Gamble

Chapter Thirteen

The explosions blasted the vendors from all sides. It seemed a bomb had exploded in the busy market place in downtown Sheung Wan. InuYasha had jumped as soon as it had happened and threw his body on top of his small family to try and protect them from the debris. It worked minimally. He could hear gasps from the females in the group as shrapnel hit them and the boys yelled out in pain. He grunted as he felt splinters from the wooden kiosks bombard his back and rip his clothing.

As soon as the attack settled, the screams and cries started. He looked up and the nightmare seemed so unreal to him. There were people lying around everywhere in various states of pain and casualty. His arm hung loosely to his side. He knew it was broken, probably right above the elbow. He grunted as he knelt down near his family and looked them over. Souta had landed on the chopsticks still in his mouth. His mouth was a river of red as the blood poured down his bottom lip. He brought his hands up and then away with horror reigning on his face. InuYasha knelt down and ripped the bottom of the young boy's shirt and put it into his hands. "Put this into your mouth against the wound, Souta." The boy didn't move from his position, so InuYasha gently moved the child hands to the mouth. With that done he looked at the young youkai. Shippo had scrapes all over him and was unconscious. A large piece of a sign lay near the kitsune's head. InuYasha didn't need to strain to hear the younger youkai breathing and he sighed in relief. Moving onto the females of the group he noticed Mama Higurashi was holding an unresponsive Kagome. He knelt down beside them and touched Kagome's neck. He could feel her pulse pounding harsh beneath her skin. The speed was unnaturally fast and it brought fear coursing through his body.

Mrs. Higurashi stood up on unsteady feet to see if she could get help. "InuYasha, stay with them while I find the relief team," she instructed the hanyou. He nodded to her and held Kagome close to his chest. With his left arm useless he hoped at Mama would be quick.

~*~Ma~*~

The rescue team had arrived to the scene of carnage as soon as word had reached all of Hong Kong about the bombing. InuYasha rode in the ambulance with Kagome and Shippo on the stretcher. His left arm was bound to his body by the emergency workers and Souta sat securely against his right side as they wove through the small streets of the island city toward the only hospital available to them. Mama hadn't returned to the scene, but InuYasha was assured by the rescuers that everyone was being transported to the same medical facility and she would probably be routed there as well.

~*~Ma~*~

Her head felt like it was submerged into a hot bath of water. Sounds were coming through the thick as a garbled mess, but she knew she was coming around to the world of the living again. Her blue eyes opened, and a bleary mess of colors assaulted her.

"Kagome?" she heard a deep rumble beside her bed. She could feel the sheets and a weight of a blanket above those lying on her stomach. Slowly she turned her head to see gold eyes and white hair close to her.

"InuYasha?" she croaked out. A straw ended up in her mouth quickly and she sipped gingerly at the cold water. When she was finished she used her tongue to dispel the straw and tried again, "InuYasha?"

He placed the water back onto the bedside and answered her, "There was a terrorist attack in the market place. Do you remember?"

She shook her head and then winced at the headache it brought. Her vision began to swim and she shut her eyes against the dizziness.

"You have a concussion. Shippo is down stairs on the youkai floor and so far the nurses tell me that he also has a concussion and hasn't woken up yet. Souta is asleep on the couch behind me. He had to have stitches in his mouth to shut a wound caused by the chopsticks he was playing with, has a broken foot he didn't realize he had, and looks like he was in a pro-boxing match and lost," InuYasha filled her in.

"Mama?" Kagome asked as she opened her eyes to look at him.

InuYasha knew what she was asking. 'How is mama?' was what she was asking him. He shook his head, "She went to get help and so far hasn't come to the hospital. The staff is on the lookout for her, though. They know to send her up here when she arrives. She was walking and didn't seem more than bruised when she went for the relief team, though."

She nodded. "And how about you?" she asked him.

He smirked a bit ruefully, "As always, I'm weak. My arm is broken, though they assured me it should be healed in about three days time. My bruises and scrapes are already clearing up and I should look better in about two days time with those."

Kagome smiled at him, "That doesn't make you weak; even youkai get hurt, InuYasha."

They sat in silence for a while and she slowly drifted off to sleep in comfort. She knew that he would protect her and stay by her side as she rested.

~*~Ma~*~

By that evening InuYasha was starting to panic. Mama Higurashi hadn't arrived at the hospital. He used Kagome's bedside telephone to call his brother.

"Sesshomaru, I need your help. Mama Higurashi hasn't come to the hospital. There has to be something wrong," he told his brother. His brother assured him that he would check into it immediately and call him as soon as possible.

'I hope she is alright,' he thought to himself as he watched her daughter sleep off her concussion. He stood to go and check on his little youkai brother down stairs on the youkai hospital wing. 'I really hope that our family stays together this time.'

~*~ Tsuzuku ~*~

A/N: Sorry this is short, but it's where it needs to be left off of. Remember to check back again next Sunday for the next chapter! It will probably be updated sometime Sunday night after my kids go to bed.

Review and tell me what everyone is thinking about the story so far! I live off of reviews. Remember to critique my writing as well so that I can fix my style if it needs to be fixed. Like I said in my profile, I am trying to get published and I want to know what the masses out there think!

France Gamble 2013


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